The line between homage and cheap copy is thin. Quentin Tarantino addressed the issue on The Late Night Show With Jimmy Kimmel. For him, the sci-fi series The Hunger Games is a copy of the 2000 Japanese film Battle Royale.
When Dana Carvey, who is standing in for Jimmy Kimmel during the summer break, asked which film Tarantino would have liked to direct, the 59-year-old didn’t have to think twice. His answer: “Battle Royale”. “I’m a big fan of the Japanese movie ‘Battle Royale’ which ‘The Hunger Games’ is based on,” he said, quickly correcting himself. “Well, Hunger Games stole the idea.”
The criticism is not new. Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins has been accused of stealing the idea for her books throughout her career. The similarities with “Battle Royale” are manageable. In both dystopias, youngsters fight for survival in an arena. That’s all. Collins always insisted that she had never heard of the Japanese film or the 1999 novel.
Prequel in the wings
The last film in the “Hunger Games” series was actually released in 2015. But now they are working on a prequel. In late June, it was announced that Jason Schwartzman would be part of the cast. Although filming has not started yet, there is already a trailer.