Sep 01, 2026 2:44pm IST
‘Obsession’ Producer Sues Co Founders Over Profits, Claims She Was Cut Out of Horror Hit’s Success
Leonora Ann Darby, an executive producer on Curry Barker’s “Obsession,” has sued Tea Shop Productions co founders James Harris and Mark Lane, alleging they breached an agreement that entitled her to a share of the film’s profits.
The lawsuit, filed in California state court, claims Darby joined Tea Shop in 2019 and eventually became one of the company’s three producers. According to the complaint, a 2024 agreement provided that she would receive one third of the net profits from films she lead produced, along with participation in the relevant collection account arrangements.
Darby alleges that “Obsession” became a particular point of contention despite her extensive involvement in getting the film completed. While she was formally credited as an executive producer, the complaint says she took on responsibilities that went well beyond that title. According to the lawsuit, problems emerged during post production after the film’s edit was taken away from writer director Barker and assigned to another editor. Darby claims she intervened with creative and structural notes, pushed for Barker to regain control of the edit and recommended additional reshoots.
Related Stories
She further alleges that she took on significant responsibility for the film’s post production, scheduling, legal clearances, quality control and delivery ahead of its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. “Obsession” subsequently became a major independent success. Made on a reported budget of $750,000, the horror film premiered in TIFF’s Midnight section before Focus Features acquired it. The lawsuit puts the value of that deal at $16.2 million.
Darby alleges that once the film became a breakout, Harris and Lane did not honour the profit participation she says was guaranteed under their 2024 agreement. The complaint also claims she was excluded from certain promotional and celebratory events surrounding the film, including its Los Angeles premiere.
According to the filing, Darby was told that “Obsession” would be the one film on which she would receive no continuing participation. Tea Shop did pay Darby $300,000 from the film’s initial minimum guarantee, the lawsuit acknowledges. However, she argues that the payment did not constitute a settlement or buyout of her contractual rights. According to the complaint, there was no written agreement stating that the payment represented full and final compensation, nor did Darby sign a release waiving additional claims.
The dispute centres on whether Darby is entitled to the one third share of net profits she says was agreed upon and whether her contributions to “Obsession” qualified her as the film’s lead producer under that arrangement. Darby is seeking damages, an accounting of the film’s revenues and profits, her alleged profit participation, unpaid compensation and expenses, as well as additional statutory relief.
Her attorney Thomas K. Richards told TheWrap that Darby had brought “serious and substantial claims” supported by a detailed factual record and intended to pursue the case. Representatives for Tea Shop Productions and Barker did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s requests for comment. The allegations in Darby’s lawsuit have not been proven in court.
The legal dispute now adds a new dimension to the story of “Obsession,” an independently produced horror film that went from a reported $750,000 production to a substantial commercial and distribution success.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.