Quentin Tarantino has some harsh words for author Suzanne Collins as well as “stupid book critics,” Variety reports.

The screenwriter and director, known for his films including Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Django Unchained, took aim at the author, claiming her Hunger Games series of young-adult dystopian novels “ripped off” the 2000 Japanese film Battle Royale.

Battle Royale, directed by Kinji Fukasaku and based on a 1999 novel by Koushun Takami, tells the story of children who are forced by the government to compete in a fight to the death. The Hunger Games series, which kicked off in 2008, has a similar plot, with a select group of young people also made to compete in a series of deadly games.

Tarantino attacked Collins on author Bret Easton Ellis’ podcast, in which he was discussing his favorite films of the 21st century so far. Battle Royale was his No. 11 pick.

“I do not understand how the Japanese writer didn’t sue Suzanne Collins for every fucking thing she owns,” Tarantino said. “They just ripped off the fucking book! Stupid book critics are not going to go watch a Japanese movie called Battle Royale, so the stupid book critics never called her out on it. They talked about how it was the most original thing they’d ever fucking read. As soon as the film critics saw the [Hunger Games] film, they said, What the fuck! This is just Battle Royale except PG!”

Josh Hutcherson, the actor who played Peeta Mellark in the first four Hunger Games films, responded to Tarantino’s remarks, telling Variety, “There are similar themes, for sure. But, you know, everyone borrows from everyone.”

On the social platform X, journalist Bill Ryan took issue with Tarantino’s attack on “stupid book critics,” writing, “an underrated part of Tarantino's BATTLE ROYALE rant is this, because lol what book critics said that??”

Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.