A producer who claims she saved a troubled horror film from collapse is now fighting for her share of its extraordinary financial success. Leonora Ann Darby filed a lawsuit Monday against Tea Shop Productions and its cofounders, alleging they violated their agreement and denied her proper compensation despite the movie generating over $500 million at the box office.
The legal action targets Tea Shop Productions along with producers James Harris and Mark Lane, who cofounded the company. Darby alleges the defendants failed to acknowledge her essential contributions to the 2025 film "Obsession" and refused to treat her as an equal partner in the production.
According to the complaint, the horror film was produced on a reported budget of $750,000 before becoming a massive commercial success. Despite the windfall, Darby maintains she was denied her fair portion of the profits under the terms of their 2024 agreement.
The lawsuit details specific interventions Darby claims were crucial to rescuing the production. She alleges that director Curry Barker had lost control of the editing process, creating a potential crisis for the film. Darby asserts she successfully restored the editing responsibilities to Barker, averting what could have been a catastrophic result for the project.
Beyond the editing crisis, Darby says she secured approval for additional reshoots that addressed significant content issues within the film. Her leadership, she contends, ensured the production met its deadline for the Toronto International Film Festival, where the movie attracted serious buyer interest.
That festival screening proved pivotal to the film's commercial trajectory. Focus Features acquired "Obsession" at the event for $16.2 million, setting the stage for its subsequent box office performance.
Following the film's financial triumph, Darby alleges Harris and Lane systematically excluded her from both monetary rewards and public recognition. The lawsuit claims the producers repeatedly breached and violated their 2024 agreement with her once the movie proved commercially viable.
Darby is seeking compensatory damages for breach of contract, unpaid project bonuses, and one third of net profits from the film. She is also pursuing additional damages beyond those specific claims.
Tea Shop Productions has not responded to requests for comment on the allegations.
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Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a pop culture junkie and loves to share what's happening in Hollywood and what trends are taking the world by storm.
