Who Is Leonora Ann Darby? Obsession Producer Lawsuit Explained

Leonora Ann Darby is a film producer and executive producer of the horror hit Obsession who has sued Tea Shop Productions and its co-founders James Harris and Mark Lane, alleging they denied her compensation and profit participation she had been promised. Darby’s 135-page complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on August 28, 2026, alleges that Harris and Lane had agreed to treat her as an equal producer and to give her one-third of Tea Shop’s net profits on films she lead-produced. She says that after she helped rescue Obsession during a troubled post-production process and the movie became a massive global hit, she was excluded from the film’s profit participation and from parts of the company’s operations. Tea Shop, Harris and Lane had not publicly responded to the allegations when the lawsuit was first reported.

Who Is Leonora Ann Darby?

Darby is a British film producer who joined Tea Shop Productions in 2019. She initially worked in development and production before rising to become one of the company’s principal producers alongside founders James Harris and Mark Lane. [TheWrap] [Deadline]

Her producing credits include A Banquet, The Surfer, Tornado and Obsession. She is formally credited as an executive producer on Obsession. [NBCUniversal]

Darby Sues Tea Shop Productions

Darby filed a 10-count lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on August 28, 2026. The defendants include Tea Shop Productions, related entities, Harris and Lane individually. [Deadline] [Arise News]

The complaint seeks unspecified damages, unpaid compensation and an accounting of money generated by projects covered by the alleged agreements. Darby has requested a jury trial. [Arise News]

Darby Says She Was Promised Equal Producer Status

The lawsuit alleges that Harris and Lane recruited Darby with promises that she would be treated as an equal producer. Darby says that arrangement included compensation, involvement in company decisions, financial transparency and access to business opportunities. [TheWrap] [Arise News]

Darby alleges that her responsibilities increased substantially between 2019 and 2026. The complaint says she developed projects, attached filmmakers, assembled financing, supervised production and post-production and handled legal, quality-control and operational issues. [Arise News]

A 2024 Agreement Is Central To The Case

Darby says the parties renegotiated her compensation in 2024. According to the lawsuit, she was promised one-third, or 33.33 percent, of Tea Shop’s net profits on projects she lead-produced. [TheWrap] [ComingSoon]

The alleged agreement also provided for her participation in collection account arrangements. Collection accounts are commonly used in independent filmmaking to receive and distribute revenue among parties entitled to shares of a movie’s income. [Arise News]

The Dispute Centers On Obsession

Darby’s largest claim concerns Curry Barker’s horror film Obsession. The film stars Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette and was released by Focus Features in May 2026. [NBCUniversal]

The movie was produced for less than $800,000. Reporting on the lawsuit places the production budget at approximately $750,000. [TMZ] [ComingSoon]

It subsequently became one of the most commercially successful low-budget horror movies of its era. By the time Darby filed suit, the movie had grossed more than $500 million worldwide. [TheWrap] [TMZ]

Darby Says She Helped Rescue The Movie

The lawsuit says Obsession encountered major problems during post-production. Darby alleges that control of the film’s edit had been taken away from director Curry Barker and handed to another editor. [TheWrap]

Darby says she pushed for Barker to regain creative control of the edit. She alleges that her involvement helped return the movie to Barker and stabilize the production. [TMZ]

She also says she obtained approval for additional reshoots. According to the complaint, the new material addressed problems identified during post-production. [TMZ]

Darby Says She Led Tea Shop’s Takeover Of The Project

Although Darby received an executive-producer credit, her lawsuit says she functioned as a lead producer inside Tea Shop. [TheWrap]

The complaint cites Tea Shop communications that allegedly acknowledged Darby had carried much of the company’s work on the film. According to TheWrap, the filing says internal communications described Darby as more involved in Tea Shop’s takeover of the production than Lane. [TheWrap]

Obsession Is Sold To Focus Features

Darby says her work helped get Obsession completed in time for the Toronto International Film Festival. [TMZ]

Focus Features acquired the movie in a deal reportedly worth $16.2 million. [TMZ] [ComingSoon]

Focus Features is not a defendant in Darby’s lawsuit. Executive producer Jason Blum is also not named as a defendant. [Arise News]

Darby Says The Profit Agreement Was Not Honored

Darby alleges Harris and Lane failed to honor the 2024 profit-sharing agreement after Obsession became a hit. [TheWrap]

She claims she was excluded from the one-third share of net profits that she says had been promised for projects she lead-produced. [ComingSoon]

Darby Received A $300,000 Bonus

The lawsuit acknowledges that Darby received additional compensation connected with Obsession. Reporting on the complaint says she was paid a $300,000 bonus. [ComingSoon] [Arise News]

Darby alleges that payment did not satisfy the profit participation and other compensation required under the agreements she says existed. [Arise News]

Darby Says Her Access To The Film’s Revenue Account Was Removed

The complaint alleges that Darby initially had access to the collection account administering revenue from Obsession. [Film Shrine]

Darby says she discovered in June 2026 that her access had been changed or removed. [Film Shrine]

The lawsuit alleges Lane subsequently told her the change was connected to her having viewed the account. Darby says she was told to notify the collection account manager that she should not be included. [Film Shrine]

Darby Says Tea Shop Tried To Change Her Employment Arrangement

Darby alleges that after the dispute over Obsession profits intensified, Tea Shop proposed converting her existing role into a contractor arrangement. [Film Shrine]

According to the complaint, the proposed new compensation arrangement excluded Obsession. [Film Shrine]

Darby Says She Was Excluded From Company Operations

The complaint alleges that Harris eventually stopped communicating with Darby in the same manner as before the compensation dispute. [Film Shrine]

Darby says she was excluded from producer calls, meetings, assignments and company decision-making. [Film Shrine]

Lawsuit Alleges Years Of Unequal Treatment

Darby’s complaint describes the dispute as extending beyond one movie. It alleges a seven-year pattern of unequal treatment and broken compensation promises by Harris and Lane. [TheWrap]

The filing characterizes that treatment as gendered. Darby alleges that the two older male producers treated her as a subordinate despite promises that she would operate as an equal producer. [Deadline] [Arise News]

Darby Wants An Accounting Of Other Tea Shop Movies

The lawsuit seeks financial information involving projects beyond Obsession. The requested accounting includes movies such as A Banquet, Bull, The Wasp, The Cut, Into the Deep, Tornado and The Surfer. [Arise News]

Darby alleges those projects may also involve compensation covered by agreements she says Tea Shop failed to honor. [Deadline]

Darby Seeks Breach-Of-Contract Damages

The lawsuit includes claims for breach of contract and unpaid compensation. Darby is seeking compensatory damages, wages, project bonuses and the profit participation she says remains unpaid. [TMZ] [Arise News]

She is also asking the court for an equitable accounting. That process could require the defendants to disclose financial records concerning revenue and distributions from the projects covered by the disputed agreements. [Arise News]

Darby’s Attorney Defends The Lawsuit

Attorney Thomas K. Richards said Darby had brought substantial claims supported by a detailed factual record. [TheWrap]

Her legal team says the dispute concerns promises allegedly made over years as Darby assumed greater responsibility within Tea Shop Productions. [TheWrap]

Tea Shop Had Not Responded When The Lawsuit Was Reported

Representatives for Tea Shop Productions, Harris and Lane did not immediately provide a public response to the allegations when entertainment outlets reported the filing. [TheWrap] [TMZ]

The lawsuit was newly filed as of September 1, 2026 and no court had ruled on Darby’s allegations. [TheWrap]