Production of 'Lady in the Lake' to resume with increased security measures following threats
BALTIMORE -- An Apple TV series put a pause on production in downtown Baltimore Friday after two men are accused of threatening violence and extortion, according to film company Endeavor Content.
A strip of Park Avenue sandwiched between West Saratoga and Clay streets has been turned into the 1960s-era based set of "Lady in the Lake," which is where the alleged incident happened.
On Monday, Endeavor Content stated the threat took place prior to the arrival of the cast and crew that afternoon.
According to an account by a driver on the production crew, two men approached him. One made a threat with a gun then the duo left the filming location.
"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," according to Endeavor Content. "Production will resume with increased security measures going forward."
A spokesperson for the Baltimore Police Department described what happened between the witness and the "locals" involved in the incident.
"Locals threatened the producers of the movie that if they didn't cease production, they would come back later and shoot someone," the department spokesperson said. "The locals then told the producers that if they paid them, they would allow the production to continue."
Despite no arrests being made in this case, the production company stated filming in Baltimore will continue.
"This is Baltimore. Something positive has to come out of it, and this was a good chance for something positive," said resident Bob George.
Mayor Brandon Scott assured the company that this type of violence will not be tolerated.
"It's being investigated by the police department and we know that there's always going to be security with those folks," said Scott.
"Lady in the Lake" is slated to air on Apple TV. It is based on the book written by best-selling author Laura Lippman, a former Baltimore Sun reporter.
The series stars Academy Award winner, Natalie Portman.
The producers of the show will film "throughout the Baltimore region until October," according to a Maryland Economic Development Association statement.
"'Lady in the Lake' takes place in 1960s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes a housewife and mother to reinvent herself as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, many jobs, and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore's Black progressive agenda," according to the statement.