The Hunger Games film and book series have become something of a behemoth of modern popular culture. The films in particular are held in high regard, thanks to the stunning realisation of the world that Suzanne Collins wrote about in addition to the excellent performance of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. However, movie fans will be able to tell you that - despite Suzanne Collins protestations that the inspiration for the series came from her channel surfing between reality TV and war coverage - the story elements and main plot appear to owe more than a little to some other films and books that appeared before hers ever hit the market. There are some who will even go so far as to entirely boycott the series in protest at this apparent idea theft. While this doesn't take away from the achievements of the Hunger Games films, there is no denying that there have been a number of movies from years gone by that have delved into similar subject matter, whether that be on a thematic level or the actual concept of bringing people together and forcing them into a battle to death for whatever prize the powers that be decide. Here we look at a few of the films that could have inspired the franchise and are - at the very least - worth a watch for any fans of The Hunger Games.
Lee Price is a writer for 411mania.com and Starburst Magazine, which is published in the UK. He is currently working as a freelance writer. He hopes to one day fund his addiction to video games by writing about video games, and he maintains a sporadically updated blog at leesrandombulls*it.wordpress.com
