The film was a financial success, considering its modest budget and the times, grossing $4 million in a month, but was pulled from theaters after the film's distributor, American International Pictures, was accused of copyright violation by Warner Bros., which saw the film as being derivative of "The Exorcist" and filed a lawsuit against AIP. Girdler himself told the Louisville Courier Journal: "Sure, we made "Abby" to come in on the shirttail of "The Exorcist"." The film is also inspired by 1968's "Rosemary's Baby".