Natalie Portman TV Series Paused After Alleged Extortion Threats by Baltimore Locals Who 'Brandished a Gun'

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Natalie Portman's latest project hit a scary roadblock over the weekend.

The 41-year-old actress is currently starring in upcoming Apple TV+ series Lady in the Lake, but filming in Baltimore was halted on Friday after local residents described by The Baltimore Banner as drug dealers threatened producers on set around 4 p.m. and pulled out a gun before demanding $50,000, according to a police statement received by the outlet.

Baltimore Police Department spokesperson James Moses told the outlet that "the leaders of the production decided to err on the side of caution and reschedule the shoot after they found another location."

Though Baltimore City Police department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, Sharon Liggins — the Senior Vice president of Endeavor Content, which produces the show — issued a statement to PEOPLE.

"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. We are working with the Baltimore Police Department as the investigation is ongoing," read the statement.

"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," it continued. "Production will resume with increased security measures going forward."

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Liggins also expressed gratitude to the city of Baltimore: "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."

Portman has not publicly commented on the ordeal.

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Portman stars alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi's Moses Ingram in the Apple TV+ limited series Lady in the Lake, from creator and director Alma Har'el stars .

Taking place in 1960s Baltimore, the series adapts Laura Lippman's 2019 New York Times best-selling novel of the same name and follows Portman's housewife Maddie Schwartz as she attempts to reinvent her life as an journalist. As she investigates an unsolved murder, Maddie crosses paths with Cleo Sherwood (Ingram), a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, multiple jobs and a passionate commitment to social justice.

No release date has been set for Lady in the Lake as production resumes.