Apple TV+ production starring Natalie Portman faces violent threat in Baltimore
An Apple TV+ and Endeavor Content production shut down on Friday afternoon after Baltimore locals threatened to shoot someone on the set of the limited series.
According to a statement from the Baltimore Police Department that has since been disputed, “the locals” warned producers of the forthcoming series “Lady in the Lake” that they would “come back later this evening [and] shoot someone” if they didn’t stop filming in the 200 block of Park Avenue. The Baltimore residents then told producers that they would “allow the production to continue” if the producers paid them $50,000, police said Sunday afternoon.
A Saturday report from the Baltimore Banner referred to the threat makers as “drug dealers” and noted that producers declined to pay the $50,000.
“The leaders of the production decided to err on the side of caution and reschedule the shoot after they found another location,” Baltimore Police Department spokesperson Chakia Fennoy told The Times.
In a statement provided Sunday evening to The Times, however, Endeavor Content clarified that two men confronted and brandished a gun at a driver on the “Lady in the Lake” production crew Friday before fleeing the scene. The incident occurred before the rest of the cast and crew arrived on set, a representative for the production company said.
The Times was later informed that no producers were present during the altercation, contrary to the police report.
The Baltimore Police Department did not immediately respond Monday to The Times’ request for comment, but WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore reporter David Collins tweeted that police are “investigating possible discrepancies in the extortion complaint made Friday on the set of the Apple plus series Lady in the Lake.”
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“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 Content rep said, noting that law enforcement is still investigating the event.
“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.”
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Adapted from bestselling author Laura Lippman’s novel of the same name, “Lady in the Lake” stars Oscar winner Natalie Portman, as a housewife-turned-journalist investigating a murder, and Emmy nominee Moses Ingram, as an activist fighting for social justice in 1960s Baltimore.
In April, the Maryland Economic Development Assn. announced that “Lady in the Lake” had begun shooting in the state and would continue filming “throughout the Baltimore region” until October. According to Deadline, Portman is also an executive producer on the project, co-created by Alma Har’el and Dre Ryan.
“We are excited that Maryland will serve as the backdrop for the television adaptation of this New York Times bestseller,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement earlier this year.
“This type of series generates a positive impact through job creation and revenue for the local businesses that provide goods and services to film and television productions. We look forward to partnering with Endeavor Content in the coming months, and hopefully, on many projects in the future.”
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