‘Obsession’ Producer Sues Colleagues, Claims She Was Cut Out of Profits After Saving the Film

Horror has had a monster year at the box office, and few films embody that surge quite like Curry Barker’s ‘Obsession.’ The film turned into one of the genre’s biggest success stories of the year, but a new legal battle behind the scenes is threatening to overshadow that victory lap.

Box office triumphs often come with their own complicated aftermath, especially when a project’s journey to the screen wasn’t as smooth as its final numbers might suggest. That appears to be exactly what’s playing out now for one of the producers credited with helping steer ‘Obsession’ toward its massive success.

Producer Leonora Ann Darby has filed a lawsuit in California state court accusing her colleagues James Harris and Mark Lane, co-founders of Tea Shop Productions, of reneging on a promise to treat her as an equal producer at the company.

According to the suit, Darby was formally credited as an executive producer on ‘Obsession,’ but functioned internally as a lead producer under the company’s own definitions, a distinction that carries significant financial weight.

That distinction matters because, per the lawsuit, once ‘Obsession’ became a genuine hit, recently crossing $500 million worldwide on a reported budget of just $750,000, Darby claims she was boxed out of the net profit participation she had previously been promised for projects she lead-produced.

The suit paints a picture of Darby playing a pivotal, hands-on role in salvaging the film during a rocky post-production stretch. According to the complaint, the editing of ‘Obsession’ had been taken away from writer-director Curry Barker at one point and handed to a different editor, a change that reportedly hurt the film’s overall quality.

Darby’s filing states that she stepped in during that troubled period and provided critical creative and structural notes that changed the direction of the project. She reportedly advocated strongly for the edit to be returned to Barker and ultimately succeeded in making that happen, a move the lawsuit credits with meaningfully improving the film’s production process.

Beyond the editing dispute, Darby also claims she recommended reshoots that helped fully realize her creative notes, and that those reshoots went on to significantly strengthen the finished film. Her attorney framed the case in strong terms, noting that Darby “has brought serious and substantial claims, supported by a detailed factual record,” according to a statement given to The Hollywood Reporter.

Darby’s history with Tea Shop Productions dates back to 2019, when she joined the company as a development and production executive before eventually rising to become one of its three producers alongside Harris and Lane. Her producing credits include the thrillers ‘The Surfer’ and ‘Tornado,’ along with the horror film ‘A Banquet.’

The lawsuit also points to a set of 2024 compensation negotiations meant to formalize her elevated status, with the parties reportedly agreeing that Darby would receive one third of net profits on films she lead-produced, along with participation in collection account management agreements tied to those projects.

For a film that has become one of the genre’s biggest financial success stories in recent memory, the lawsuit adds an unexpected layer of behind-the-scenes tension to ‘Obsession’s’ otherwise triumphant run. It also raises broader questions about how credit and compensation get distributed on films that dramatically outperform expectations.

As of now, representatives for Tea Shop Productions and Barker have not issued a public response to the allegations. Given the scale of ‘Obsession’s’ box office success, this dispute is unlikely to fade quietly, and industry watchers will be paying close attention to how both sides respond in the weeks ahead.