Leonora Ann Darby sues producers over ‘Obsession’ profits

Executive producer Leonora Ann Darby has filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against James Harris and Mark Lane, the co-founders of Tea Shop Productions. Darby alleges that the two producers reneged on agreements to treat her as an equal partner and denied her a promised one-third share of net profits from the horror film ‘Obsession’.

The film, directed by Curry Barker, has become a massive commercial success, grossing over $500 million worldwide on a budget of approximately $750,000. Darby claims her role was instrumental to the film’s success, asserting she ‘rescued’ the project by intervening in the editing process after it had been taken away from the director.

According to the legal filing, Darby joined Tea Shop Productions in 2019 and rose through the company ranks. The lawsuit describes a ‘seven-year pattern of unequal treatment’ and alleges that while she was credited as an executive producer, she functioned as a lead producer entitled to specific compensation and participation in collection account management agreements.