"fritz the cat" opened on april 12, 1972, in hollywood and washington, d.c. although the film only had a limited release, it went on to become a worldwide hit. against its $700,000 budget, it grossed $25 million in the united states and over $90 million worldwide, and was the most successful independent animated feature of all time. the film earned $4.7 million in theater rentals in north america.