▁for ▁$ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁the ▁film ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁ear n ▁$ 9 ▁million ▁at ▁the ▁box ▁office , ▁making ▁it ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁independent ▁releases ▁of ▁that ▁year . ▁Det ail ing ▁a ▁woman ▁possessed ▁by ▁a ▁demon , ▁Bey ond ▁the ▁Do or ▁was ▁l abeled ▁a ▁rip - off ▁of ▁The ▁Ex or c ist . ▁Warner ▁B ros . ▁prompt ly ▁file d ▁a ▁law suit , ▁claim ing ▁copy right ▁in fr ing ement . ▁The ▁law suit ▁failed ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁determined ▁Warner ▁B ros . ▁had ▁no ▁rights ▁to ▁key ▁horror ▁scenes ▁dep icted ▁in ▁The ▁Ex or c ist . ▁ ▁F VI ▁produced ▁and ▁distributed ▁G ri zz ly ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁J aws ▁cl ones . ▁Mont oro ▁fin anced ▁the ▁film ▁for ▁$ 7 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁William ▁G ird ler . ▁G ri zz ly ▁was ▁a ▁surprise ▁hit , ▁ear ning ▁more ▁than ▁$ 3 9 ▁million ▁and ▁becoming ▁the ▁most ▁finan cially ▁successful ▁independent ▁film ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁Mont oro ▁decided ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁prof its ▁for ▁himself , ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁law suit ▁against ▁F VI ▁by ▁G ird ler ▁and ▁producer / screen writ ers ▁Har vey ▁F lax man ▁and ▁David ▁Sh eld on . ▁F VI ▁eventually ▁returned ▁the ▁prof its ▁to ▁the ▁film m