Obsession's On-Set Controversy Highlights a Wider Hollywood Problem

One of 2026’s breakout hits, Obsession, has earned $229 million worldwide on a $750,000 budget, but celebration has been tempered by an Instagram post from the film’s art director, Sally Choi. She described low pay and harsh working conditions, a post that drew both applause for calling out exploitation and criticism that she had accepted the fee beforehand.

Choi said she was paid $300 per day — an estimated $6,741.36 after taxes — with no mileage reimbursement, long shooting hours, tasks beyond her job description, unpaid volunteer crew members, and discouragement around “flipping” a non‑union set to union status.

She urged others to share their experiences, writing that her post “struck a nerve, not because it was a singular story of being overlooked, but because this happens every day, in and out of the film industry.” The complaint fits a broader pattern: as the industry rebounds from COVID‑19 and strikes, productions increasingly demand speed and economy, leaving crews to do more for less.

United States, Hollywood

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