&34;Everyone borrows from everyone,&34; the actor behind Peeta Mellark said. Josh Hutcherson responds to Quentin Tarantino saying Hunger Games 'ripped off' Battle Royale &34;Everyone borrows from everyone,&34; the actor behind Peeta Mellark said. By Wesley Stenzel :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/WesleyStenzelauthorphoto32b61793a2784639af623f2ae091477e.jpg) Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at . He began writing for EW in 2022. EW's editorial guidelines December 4, 2025 3:54 p.m.

"Everyone borrows from everyone," the actor behind Peeta Mellark said.

Josh Hutcherson responds to Quentin Tarantino saying Hunger Games 'ripped off' Battle Royale

"Everyone borrows from everyone," the actor behind Peeta Mellark said.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

EW's editorial guidelines

December 4, 2025 3:54 p.m. ET

Josh Hutcherson in Los Angeles on Oct. 28, 2025; Quentin Tarantino in Los Angeles on Oct. 19, 2024. Credit:

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Josh Hutcherson is responding to Quentin Tarantino's criticism of *The Hunger Games*.

After the *Hateful Eight* filmmaker accused author Suzanne Collins of copying the Japanese novel and movie *Battle Royale* when writing the first installment of her young adult sci-fi novel series, Hutcherson appeared nonplussed by Tarantino's remarks.

"There are similar themes, for sure," the actor behind Peeta Mellark admitted to *Variety*. "But, you know, everyone borrows from everyone."

Josh Hutcherson in 'The Hunger Games'.

Murray Close/Lionsgate

Tarantino sounded off about the similarities between *Battle Royale* and *The Hunger Games* — which both revolve around teenagers murdering each other in a bloody dystopian competition — during a fiery appearance on *The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast*.

"*Battle Royale* is based on a novel. I do not understand how the Japanese writer didn't sue Suzanne Collins for every f---ing thing she owns," Tarantino said in a recent episode of *The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast*. "They just ripped off the f---ing book!"

Tarantino was not the first to observe the similarities between the two stories, and Collins clarified that she knew nothing about *Battle Royale* until she had already finished her manuscript for the first *Hunger Games*.

"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.'"

Hutcherson played lovable baker Peeta Mellark in the first four *Hunger Games* films, serving as the primary love interest and arena ally for Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen.

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The *Hunger Games* film series continued with the 2023 prequel, *The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes*, which chronicled the rise of future President Coriolanus Snow. The franchise will continue in 2026 with *Sunrise on the Reaping*, a prequel focusing on Haymitch Abernathy.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

"I'm so excited to see the series continue and the amazing cast they've gotten for it," Hutcherson told *Variety*.

Hutcherson currently stars on Rachel Sennott's HBO comedy series *I Love LA*. He can also be seen in the horror sequel *Five Nights at Freddy's 2*, which hits theaters on Friday.

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Source: Sci-Fi

Published: December 09, 2025 at 05:38PM on Source: ANDY MAG

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