Zapped! was made in 1981 by Embassy Pictures for $2 million and was released the following year, making less than $17 million in its initial release. Critics generally panned Zapped! for a weak story line and for relying on gratuitous nudity. However, over the years it sold heavily in videos and spawned a 1990 direct-to-video sequel, Zapped Again! (with only Sue Ane Langdon returning from the original cast).