Cheryl Lynn, but, according to Zaza, the publishing rights to the songs were far outside the film's budget. Under orders from producer Peter Simpson, Zaza wrote a series of original disco songs over a five-day period which closely copied the original tracks that were intended to be used in the film. This resulted in a copyright lawsuit for $10 million, which was eventually settled for $50,000. An official release of the Prom Night soundtrack was issued in Japan in 1980, featuring both the musical score as well as the original disco songs featured in the film. Other "source" music was provided by Canadian band Highstreet. Release Promotion After production wrapped, Paramount Pictures expressed interest in distributing the movie. However, they only wanted to open it in 300 theaters whereas Avco Embassy purchased the film at the Cannes film market in May 1980 (instead, Paramount released another independent slasher film, Friday the 13th, which premiered two months before Prom Night as an "exact replica of [the trailer] for Carrie (1976)." The distributor issued a total of 250 prints of the film for theatrical distribution. On July 25, 1980, it was reported that Avco Embassy Pictures was planning a promotional tour for the film, which would have Curtis appearing at openings for the film in various U.S. cities, such as New York City, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Cincinnati, Denver and Los Angeles. Additionally, 10,000 promotional "scream pillows" were to be distributed at screenings to help quiet the outbursts of theater patrons. Box office Given a limited release in the United States on July 18, 1980, Prom Night had financial success as a sleeper hit. During its opening week in select cities (including Chicago, Milwaukee, Louisville, and several cities in Texas), it grossed $1,189,636 at the U.S. box office, and was subsequently slated for a staggered platform release. Its theatrical run expanded on August 15, 1980, to New York City and Los Angeles, and included select midnight screenings. During its opening week runs in New York City and Los Angeles, the film earned a combined $1.3 million, and marked Avco Embassy's highest-grossing Los Angeles opening to date, as well as breaking weekend records in Philadelphia and New England. The film continued to prove financially successful through Labor Day, earning $2.1 million over the holiday weekend. By October 1980, the film had grossed a sum of $12 million. The film premiered in Canada through Astral