Known for his ability to take care of strong female leads in television and film, Joss Whedon is praising The Hunger Games for a job well done.

Speaking at a Women’s Rights event last night, the Buffy writer briefly spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about Katniss and what the film is doing for the industry

Whedon has long been known for writing strong female characters, which he notes is still a rarity in Hollywood.

“I think they’ve been peripheral for a long time, and I think The Hunger Games is about to change that in a big way,” he told THR. “I really like it, it’s my kind of thing. And more important, I like what it’s doing, which is millions.”

Whedon said last week that it was “tempting as hell” to direct Catching Fire – he hadn’t received an offer, though.