UPDATED: The Baltimore production of the Apple TV+ series “Lady in the Lake” was halted on Friday afternoon after the producers decided to “err on the side of caution” after receiving threats of violence.
On Monday, the show’s creator, Alma Har’el, tweeted that “production will resume with increased security procedures going forward.” After a lengthy thread thanking the people of Baltimore, she concluded, “We will rise again.”
The Baltimore police department confirmed that a group of locals contacted producers working a shoot on Park Avenue in the downtown area at around 4 p.m. on Friday. The group threatened to return in the evening to shoot somebody if production didn’t cease. Producers were also told to pay a sum of $50,000 to the group before production would be allowed to continue.
Leaders on the series elected to reschedule filming and look for another location after receiving the message, according to the police department.
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“Friday afternoon, on the Baltimore set of our production ‘Lady in the Lake,’ prior to the arrival of the cast and crew, per their call time, a driver on our production crew was confronted by two men, one of whom brandished a gun directed at our driver, and then they fled the location,” series producer Endeavor Content said in a statement. “We are working with the Baltimore Police Department as the investigation is ongoing. 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. 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.”
“Lady in the Lake” filming began in April and is expected to continue through the fall. The series takes place in Baltimore in 1966 and is adapted from local author Laura Lippman’s novel of the same name. The series stars Natalie Portman and Moses Ingram, alongside Y’Lan Noel, Mikey Madison and Brett Gelman.
David Simon, creator of the Baltimore-set series “The Wire” and Lippman’s husband, shared a statement regarding the production halt to honor how authorities handled the situation.
“We shot 200 hours of television over two decades. Communicated where we shot. Always a few loudmouths hyping; always folks in crew — locations, security, BPD — trained to firmly but respectfully respond. Baltimore is good people,” Simon wrote.
“Lady in the Lake” comes from Endeavor Content. Har’el serves as creator on the series and is also a director and executive producer, along with Christopher Legget, under her new production company Zusa. Portman executive produces along with her producing partner, Sophie Mas. Crazyrose principals Nathan Ross and the late Jean-Marc Vallée executive produce along with Julie Gardner for Bad Wolf. Amy J. Kaufman and Layne Eskridge of POV Entertainment also executive produce, as does Lippman and Boaz Yakin.
The Baltimore Banner first reported the situation.
