Cameras are rolling once again in Montana after a contentious standoff between local government and media producers came to a swift resolution.
Following a brief production halt ordered by municipal officials earlier this week, The Daily Wire’s controversial pro-ICE feature film Pawn Shop has received approval to resume shooting in downtown Livingston, Montana.
According to Variety, the production resumed after the Livingston City Commission voted unanimously to allow filming to continue.
Directed by Michael Polish, the movie is a joint production between Ben Shapiro’s outlet and Bonfire Legend. Starring Harvey Keitel, Danny Trejo, and Henry Thomas, the film centers on a federal agent caught in a deadly siege involving protesters, armed shopkeepers, and violent criminals.
The temporary shutdown drew sharp condemnation from Shapiro, who accused local leaders of leveraging municipal codes to silence political expression. “There’s only one reason the city commissioners ruled they were going to stop our production on the street: politics, pure and simple, and they pretty much admitted it,” Shapiro said.
He also responded to comments from Commissioner Cindy Daniels, who said she was unwilling to sacrifice community safety and mental health over the production. Daniels noted that the movie was not a Hallmark film or a Christmas story. Shapiro pushed back, saying, “I wasn’t aware that we had to fulfill your idea of what the story required.”
Why was production on the Daily Wire movie paused?
The production shutdown followed concerns over how filming was affecting the Livingston community. Officials and residents raised issues surrounding street closures, public access, and the production’s security arrangements.
Local officials also discussed the use of community resources during the shoot. Concerns included emergency services and access to the Livingston Food Resource Center, as filming activity affected the facility.
The film has also generated controversy because of its political premise. Its story reportedly draws from the January 2026 killing of Renée Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. The connection has brought protests and criticism from people opposed to the film’s perspective on immigration enforcement.
With the city commission lifting the suspension under tighter security and communication protocols, production on Pawn Shop is moving forward as planned.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
