‘Obsession’ Producer Sues Production Company Over $505 Million Box Office Profits

Executive producer Leonora Ann Darby has sued the production company behind Obsession, alleging she was denied her share of the horror film’s profits despite playing a key role in its production.

Darby filed the lawsuit against Tea Shop Productions co-founders and fellow producers James Harris and Mark Lane in Los Angeles Superior Court on Aug. 28. She claims the producers failed to recognize her contributions and broke an agreement that would have made her an equal producer at the company.

According to the lawsuit, Darby was promised one-third, or 33.33%, of Tea Shop’s net profits from films she lead-produced. Her attorneys allege that Harris and Lane repeatedly violated the agreement and ultimately excluded her from profits from Obsession.

Darby was officially credited as an executive producer on the film. Her lawyers argue that she performed the duties of a lead producer and played an important role in the movie’s success.

The lawsuit says Darby advocated for 26-year-old director Curry Barker to regain control of the film’s editing after the project had been handed to another editor. She also pushed for reshoots and provided notes on the characters, story and supernatural elements. Her recommendation to make the film’s supernatural premise fully real in its world was ultimately adopted.

Darby’s attorney, Thomas K. Richards, said in a statement that his client’s claims are supported by a detailed factual record and that she intends to pursue the case fully.

The lawsuit also alleges that Harris and Lane excluded Darby from public recognition, including not inviting her to the film’s Los Angeles premiere. Darby is seeking her alleged one-third share of Obsession’s net profits, a full accounting, compensation for related projects, unpaid wages and expenses, and damages related to alleged retaliation.

Before Obsession, Darby worked as a producer on films including Abraham’s Boys, Tornado, The Surfer, A Banquet and The Wasp.

Directed by Barker, Obsession became an unexpected box-office hit. The ultra-low-budget horror thriller opened with $17.2 million and went on to earn approximately $505.7 million worldwide.