Why Quentin Tarantino Can’t Believe The HUNGER GAMES Author Wasn’t Sued For ‘Everything She Owns’

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino recently appeared on the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast (via SFFGazette.com) to share his 20 greatest films of the 21st century so far. Although his work has been celebrated by fans and critics alike, Tarantino often has mixed opinions about Hollywood.

The last objective of Kill Bill And Inglourious Basterds the helmsman? The hunger games author Suzanne Collins. When Tarantino Revealed He Was Ranking Kinji Fukasaku’s 2000 Dystopian Action Thriller Battle Royale as number 11, he ripped the writer for what he sees as so much theft from the film.

For those of you who don’t know Battle Royaleit revolves around a group of high school students as they are forced to fight to the death by the totalitarian Japanese government.

In comparison, The hunger games takes place in dystopian Panem, where the Capitol forces each of the 12 districts to send a tribute to a boy and a girl to fight to the death in an annual televised event.

“I don’t understand how the Japanese writer didn’t sue Suzanne Collins for everything she owns,” Tarantino said. “They just ripped the damn book off! Stupid book reviewers aren’t going to go watch a Japanese movie called ‘Battle Royale,’ so stupid book reviewers never called her out on it.”

“They said it was the most original thing they had ever read. As soon as the film critics saw the film, they said, ‘What is this?’ [frick]! It’s just Battle Royale except PG!'” he added, before reflecting on the experience of seeing the film for the first time.

“I had no idea what I was going to see. And holy shit! I don’t even know what I saw. It was so wild. Three months later, I was at the Seattle Film Festival. They were going to show ‘Battle Royale’ at midnight. No one had seen that yet in America. I got to the midnight screening and it was one of the most exciting showings while waiting for the movie to start.”

“I knew what they were going to see. It’s going to bring more than they think!” Tarantino exclaimed. “They’re not prepared for how this is going to turn out. Having that knowledge was power.”

Although we’ll have to wait and see what his numbers 10 to 1 are, there are Tarantino’s picks 20 to 11 for the best films of the 21st century:

20. West Side History
19. Cabin Fever
18. silver ball
17. Chocolate
16. The Devil’s Rejects
15. The Passion of Christ
14. School of Rock
13. Jackass: The Movie
12. The big bad wolves
11. Battle Royale

Collins has not responded to Tarantino’s criticism. Regardless of any similarities the franchise might have to Battle Royaleit continues to strengthen, with The Hunger Games: Sunrise over the Harvest is scheduled to be released on November 20, 2026.