Produced by Roger Corman, "Piranha" was one of a series of low-budget B movies inspired by the film "Jaws" (1975), which had been a major success for Universal Studios and director Steven Spielberg. Initially, Universal Studios had considered obtaining an injunction to prevent "Piranha" being released, particularly as they had released "Jaws 2" the same summer, but the lawsuit was cancelled after Spielberg himself gave the film a positive comment in advance. Released on August 3, 1978, the film was a commercial success and later achieved a cult following. "Piranha" was followed by a sequel, "" (1982), and two remakes, one in 1995 and another in 2010, which spawned its own sequel in 2012.