Quentin Tarantino isn't holding back about his feelings toward a popular book franchise.

The famed director had some choice words about "The Hunger Games" during a recent appearance on the "The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast," accusing the Suzanne Collins book series of copying Koushun Takami's 1999 novel "Battle Royale," similarly about a dystopian teen competition and also turned into a film in 2000 directed by Kinji Fukasaku. "Battle Royale" has often topped Tarantino's list of favorite movies of all time.

"'Battle Royale' is based on a novel. I do not understand how the Japanese writer didn't sue Suzanne Collins for every [expletive] thing she owns," Tarantino said in the Tuesday, Nov. 25, episode of the podcast. "They just ripped off the [expletive] book!"

Tarantino continued on to criticize book critics for not calling out Collins on the similarities: "Stupid book critics are not going to go watch a Japanese movie called 'Battle Royale' so the stupid book critics never called her on it. They talked about how it was the most original [expletive] thing they'd ever read. As soon as the film critics saw the film, they said, 'What the [expletive]? This is just "Battle Royale" except PG!'"

Collins has previously denied that her work was inspired by Takami. "I had never heard of that book or that author until my book was turned in," she told The New York Times in 2011. "At that point, it was mentioned to me, and I asked my editor if I should read it. He said: 'No, I don't want that world in your head. Just continue with what you’re doing.'"

The "Hunger Games" bestselling book franchise has become more than just a popular book series – it was early fandom culture, fodder for cosplay, the games middle schoolers played in the woods and a gateway into dystopian literature.

The movie franchise also continues to make waves and box office magic, with the original film and its first sequel both grossing more than $400 million since their debuts, per Box Office Mojo.

A sixth movie, "Sunrise on the Reaping," is set to hit theaters on Nov. 20, 2026. The dystopian drama, an adaptation of Collins' prequel on Katniss Everdeen's mentor Haymitch Abernathy, is set 24 years before the events of the series' first book during the 50th Hunger Games, a special Quarter Quell that occurs every 25 years. Abernathy, who later becomes Everdeen's hardened but lovable adviser, is the victor of these games.

Tarantino top 20 movies include these classics

Tarantino's comments came as he ran down his list of favorite films from the 21st century so far. The first 10 of his list of 20 include:

  • Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" (No. 20)
  • Eli Roth's "Cabin Fever" (No. 19)
  • Bennett Miller's "Moneyball" (No. 18)
  • Prachya Pinkaew's "Chocolate" (No. 17)
  • Rob Zombie's "The Devil’s Rejects" (No. 16)
  • Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" (No. 15)
  • Richard Linklater’s “School of Rock” (No. 14)
  • Jeff Tremaine's "Jackass: The Movie" (No. 13)
  • Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado's "Big Bad Wolves" (No. 12)
  • Kinji Fukasaku's "Battle Royale" (No. 11)

Contributing: Edward Segarra, Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Quentin Tarantino slams 'The Hunger Games' as a 'rip off' of this book

Reporting by Anika Reed, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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