Lawsuit Filed Against Obsession Makers as Executive Producer Levels Serious Allegations

You might recall the supernatural horror film 'Obsession', released in May 2026. Written and directed by Kari Barker, the film made box-office history with its earnings. Starring Michael Johnston and Inde Navarette, the movie grossed a massive ₹5,057 crore ($505.7 million) worldwide, despite having a budget of only ₹7.15 crore. Compared to its production cost, the film achieved a profit of 70,627.27% at the box office. However, an executive producer of 'Obsession' has now filed a lawsuit against the makers, making serious accusations. Leonora N. Darby claims she "saved" the superhit film from poor editing, yet two of her fellow producers have refused to give her a share of the profits.

This lawsuit by 'Obsession' executive producer Leonora comes at a time when the film has generated a profit of ₹5,049.85 crore. The film grossed a total of ₹99.25 crore from Indian theaters alone. Lawsuit Against Production Company Co-founders

According to a lawsuit filed in California state court, producer Leonora N. Darby has leveled allegations against James Harris and Mark Lane—her colleagues and co-founders of 'Tea Shop Productions.' Leonora claims the company breached an agreement to treat her as an equal producer and failed to acknowledge her pivotal role in the project 'Obsession,' resulting in financial loss.

Promise of a Share in Profits

While Leonora acknowledged receiving official credit as an executive producer on 'Obsession,' the lawsuit argues that she functioned as a lead producer in line with 'Tea Shop Productions'' internal operational practices. The suit alleges that after 'Obsession' became a major hit, she was excluded from receiving a share of the net profits for projects where she had served as a lead producer.

Statement from Leonora's Attorney

Thomas K. Richards, attorney for Leonora N. Darby, stated, "Darby has made serious and substantive claims backed by factual records. She is fully confident in her claims and intends to pursue the matter legally."

Leonora Darby Joined the Production Company in 2019

Leonora N. Darby joined 'Tea Shop Productions' in 2019 as a development and production executive. She subsequently advanced to become one of the company's three producers, alongside Harris and Lane. She had previously produced films such as the thrillers *The Surfer* (2024) and *Tornado* (2025), the horror film *A Banquet* (2021), and several others. It is claimed that in 2024, based on her career progression, she negotiated compensation terms under which all parties agreed she would receive one-third of the net profits from films where she served as the lead producer. She was also to be included in the collection account management agreement.

Leonora Darby’s claims regarding her work in the lawsuit

According to Leonora Darby, she became involved with the film *Obsession* after the editing duties were transferred from director Carey Barker to a new editor. The lawsuit states that this change was causing the film to suffer. Darby advocated for returning the editing work to Barker and reshooting certain segments to address the film's shortcomings. The suit alleges that her creative input was instrumental in shaping the initial relationship between the male and female leads, developing the characters across the first two acts, and refining the film's supernatural elements—including the concept of "One Wish Willow" as a tangible element. She later assumed a leadership role to ensure the film's completion in time for the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was sold to Focus Features for $16.2 million.

Leonora claims the tune changed after the film became a hit

However, the situation took a turn when *Obsession* became a major hit. Harris and Lane allegedly "repeatedly breached" the 2024 agreement made with Leonora Darby. It is alleged that the two deprived her of the recognition due for her work on the film; she was not invited to the premiere, and was told that 'Obsession' was a project in which she would have no further stake.

Harris Offered $300,000

When Leonora Darby raised the issue of earnings from the film with Harris, he offered her an initial payment of $300,000. The lawsuit states that this payment was made with the understanding that she would continue to receive a share of the net profits thereafter. However, this did not happen—even though, under the collection account management agreement, Leonora had access to the figures regarding the film's actual earnings.