Production of Natalie Portman’s upcoming Apple TV+ series “Lady in the Lake” was suspended Friday in Baltimore after local drug dealers threatened to attack the set unless they were paid.
The production was filming on Park Avenue in Baltimore when residents — described as drug dealers by the Baltimore Banner — approached the team, telling producers the only way production would be “allowed” to continue is if they received $50,000, the Los Angeles Times reported.
If their demands were not met, then someone would apparently “come back later [Friday] evening [and] shoot someone,” the LA Times noted.
After a driver on the production crew of “Lady in the Lake” was confronted by two men with a gun Friday, production will continue with increased security measures, a studio spokesperson said. https://t.co/7JjyO5XXBK
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) August 29, 2022
Endeavor Content, the co-producers for the upcoming limited series, said the incident occurred before the cast and crew arrived on set and only one of the drivers was accosted, the LA Times continued. It’s unclear whether the statement issued by Endeavor is in addition to the producers being accosted, as it differs significantly from details provided by the Baltimore Police department, the outlet noted.
“The safety and security of our crew, cast and all who work across our productions is our highest priority, and we are thankful no one was injured. Production will resume with increased security measures going forward,” the Endeavor rep noted, according to the LA Times. “It has been a privilege filming ‘Lady in the Lake’ in Baltimore, working with its vibrant community across many areas. Our thanks and appreciation to the City of Baltimore, Mayor Brandon M. Scott, the Baltimore Film Office, Maryland Film Office and the Baltimore Police Department for their incredible support as we continue production in the great City of Baltimore and surrounding communities.” (RELATED: Nobody Asked For Photos Of Hillary Clinton Partying At A Bar)
Filming for the series started in April and is expected to last through October, the LA Times noted. The story follows a housewife and mother trying to “reinvent herself as a journalist” as she investigates an unsolved murder in 1960s Baltimore, according to the Baltimore Sun.