The 1970s saw Halfpenny Pictures go international with their productions, sourcing directors from across America and Europe and providing them with bigger budgets than they were accustomed in a bid to flood the market with the Halfpenny brand. One such director was famed Italian filmmaker Antonio Prosciutto, who had made a name for himself with the Spaghetti Western A Fistful of Cannoli and the poliziotteschi film Dressed to Cook. At the time he was headhunted by Halfpenny, Prosciutto was just finishing work on his horror creature feature Buzzkill for Paramount, about an apiary that is struck by lightning, resulting in a gigantic swarm of killer electric bees. Eager to get Prosciutto on board, Francis Amberton promptly bought the rights to Buzzkill and released it under the Halfpenny Pictures banner instead.
