Executive producer sues fellow Tea Shop partners over Obsession profit share

Leonora Ann Darby, an executive producer on the blockbuster Obsession, lodged a suit in California state court against her Tea Shop Productions partners James Harris and Mark Lane. The filing asserts that Darby, who joined the company in 2019 and rose to become one of its three producers, was promised a one-third net-profit share for any film she lead-produced, a commitment formalized in 2024. When Obsession, made on a reported $750,000 budget, crossed $500 million globally, Darby says Harris and Lane repeatedly breached that agreement, denying her both profit participation and public acknowledgment of her contributions.

The complaint credits Darby with restoring director Curry Barker’s edit, securing reshoots, and steering the film to the Toronto International Film Festival, where it sold to Focus Features for $16.2 million. Although Harris initially offered a $300,000 payment, Darby’s access to collection-account data was later cut, and a proposed consulting arrangement was replaced by a first-look deal that explicitly excluded her from Obsession’s earnings. Darby is seeking a full accounting of profits and any unpaid bonuses.