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Production Resumes For Apple TV’s ‘Lady In The Lake’ After Alleged Threat Of Violence
The Baltimore production was briefly shut down after crew members reported being threatened.
Production on the Apple TV+ series “Lady in The Lake” resumed Monday after an alleged threat of gun violence abruptly halted filming late last week.
David M. O’Ferrall, business agent for the IATSE Local 487 union, confirmed to Oxygen.com that production was back up for the limited crime series, starring Natalie Portman.
“The production has, as they said increased security, and is moving forward,” O’Ferrall said in an email.
O’Ferrall, whose union represents crew members working in special effects, set construction, costumers and other crafts, said he could not provide any additional detail but did commend the city of Baltimore, where the filming is taking place.
“The safety and well-being of our crew, as well as the entire production, are always paramount. We are working with production to see that every set, every shot, every day is safe,” he said. “Baltimore has great crews and great locations and we work hard to see that every production has the best possible experience while working here.”
Production came to an abrupt halt Friday after a crew member of the television series, which is being adapted from a Laura Lippman novel of the same name, reported being approached by a group around 4 p.m. Friday. The group allegedly threatened to shoot someone connected with the production if filming on the production didn’t stop and demanded producers pay $50,000 to be able to safely return to filming, according to Variety.
The producers refused to pay and decided to shut down production to ensure the cast and crew’s safety on the set.
“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 spokesman James Moses told The Baltimore Banner.
Endeavor Content, the studio responsible for the limited series, released a statement to Deadline late Sunday addressing the alleged incident.
“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 fled the location,” the statement read. “We are working with the Baltimore Police Department as the investigation is ongoing.”
However, on Tuesday local station WBAL reported that police had confirmed that they were investigating what the news outlet described as “possible discrepancies” in the story.
When approached by Oxygen.com, police declined to comment on the report but said a new official statement from authorities would be released soon.
“Lady in the Lake” is based on Lippman’s best-selling book which tells the story of a Baltimore housewife who takes on the role of investigative journalist in an attempt to piece together an unsolved murder, which “sets her on a collision course” with a passionate woman committed to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda in the 1960s, according to an April press release.
“We are excited that Maryland will serve as the backdrop for the television adaptation of this New York Times bestseller,” Gov. Larry Hogan said at the time. “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.”
Lippman, a journalist-turned-best-selling author, has written over 20 mysteries. She spoke with Oxygen.com last year as part of Oxygen’s Book Club to discuss her novel “Dream Girl.”
