An Apple TV+ series filming in Baltimore stopped production Friday after several people threatened the producers and tried to extort money from them, Baltimore police said.
A spokesperson for the Baltimore Police Department said the crew was filming around 4 PM in the downtown area when the producers were approached by several people. The group claimed if they didn’t stop filming they would come back and shoot someone, police said.
However, they said no violence would occur if they were paid an unspecified amount. Producers decided to halt filming and seek a new location. Local news outlet The Baltimore Banner reported that drug dealers attempted to extort $50,000 from the production, which producers declined to pay.
The Apple+ series stars Natalie Portman and has been filming in Baltimore for the past several months.
The series is based on a book by former Baltimore Sun reporter and author Laura Lippman, and also stars Baltimore native Moses Ingram, who recently appeared in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.