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The Hunger Games franchise has long been accused of being a Battle Royale ripoff, but despite Suzanne Collins' confirmation that these are two separate stories, Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino remains unconvinced.
As the debate goes on, one of The Hunger Games stars recently decided to speak up about it.
How Did The Hunger Games Star Respond to Quentin Tarantino's Statement?
While sharing his Top 20 movies of all time, with Battle Royale being one of them, Quentin Tarantino slammed The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins for stealing the Japanese film and novel's concept and for making money off it.
"I do not understand how the Japanese writer didn't sue Suzanne Collins for every f***ing thing she owns," Tarantino said, "They just ripped off the f***ing book!"
One original cast member of The Hunger Games franchise begged to differ.
In an exclusive conversation with Variety, Josh Hutcherson disagreed with Tarantino's sentiment. Hutcherson brushed off the Academy-winning helmer's comments and said that one hundred percent of ideas are hard to come by. As a result, some storylines and characters end up mirroring each other. The Hunger Games and Battle Royale are no different.
Being inspired by another doesn't automatically make it a rip-off. "There are similar themes, for sure. But, you know, everyone borrows from everyone," Hutcherson explained.
Back in 2012, Collins was confronted with the same accusations, which she claimed were not correlated: "I have never heard of that book or that author until my book was turned in. At that point, it was mentioned to me, and I asked my editor if I should read it."
Collins added, "[My editor] said: 'No, I don't want that world in your head. Just continue with what you're doing.'"
How Similar Are the Battle Royale and The Hunger Games Franchises Really?
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Already, at first glance, Battle Royale and The Hunger Games franchise share one core similarity: both center on a government-mandated killing competition amongst the younger generation. However, they are still different stories in other aspects.
The Hunger Games, specifically, is a televised spectacle about class welfare, where everything the chosen "tributes" from their respective districts must be scripted and formed to appeal to their audience in Panem to acquire extra support in the arena to survive.
Battle Royale, on the other hand, is more brutal and a grittier punishment for society's failures. If anything, it's closer to tying the Japanese film to The Purge, considering that the state-sanctioned violence derives from how prisoners react and survive according to their advantages and disadvantages.
While the debate will most likely continue, take into account that a Hunger Games star and the original author of the franchise answered the burning questions themselves.
Which side are you on? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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