'Pawn Shop' restarts filming in Montana after permit shutdown

Filming on "Pawn Shop", the Daily Wire-backed drama about immigration enforcement, has restarted in Livingston, Montana, after city officials reinstated its permits on the night of Monday, Oct. 5. Variety reported the restart on Oct. 6, ending a brief halt to location work.

Cameras are rolling again. The stoppage had followed a Special City Commission meeting on Saturday, Oct. 3, in Livingston. The commission voted to immediately and temporarily suspend the permit held by Bonfire Pawn Shop LLC, the production company behind the shoot, while it sought a legal opinion from the city attorney. That opinion was due back no later than 5 p.m. on Oct. 5.

The vote to pause production was unanimous, The Daily Beast reported on Oct. 5. A filming permit, the permission a production needs from a local council to use streets, shops and other public areas, is routine on location shoots. Suspending it stops work until the paperwork is resolved.

The commission acted after complaints from local residents. Those included disruption around the Livingston food bank and claims that neighbours did not receive proper warning about hazardous stunts, according to Variety. Stunt warnings tell nearby homes and businesses when loud effects, vehicles or closed roads are planned.

Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro criticised the shutdown. He described it as "content discrimination" and "a violation of the First Amendment," Variety reported. Permits were restored after producers met with city officials on Oct. 5, clearing the way for the crew to return to set.

The film is directed by Michael Polish. Its cast is listed as Myles Clohessy, Danny Trejo, Harvey Keitel, Henry Thomas, CJ Salvador, Noel Guglielmi, Paris Bravo, Joseph Lucero, Eddie Spears, Simon Rhee and Forrie J. Smith.

"Pawn Shop" is a working title, the temporary name used during production. The story is a fiction about immigration enforcement set in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported on Sept. 28. In a letter to the city, the production also said it had faced security threats, as reported by The Bulwark on Oct. 5.

Location filming in Livingston had been scheduled to finish on Oct. 10, TheWrap reported on Oct. 4. That leaves the production with a short run to complete the planned Montana work now that the permits are back in place.