Montana City Suspends Permit for Daily Wire’s ‘Pawn Shop’

Livingston, Montana, has temporarily suspended the filming permit for Pawn Shop, a Daily Wire thriller whose production drew complaints from residents, businesses and the city’s only food resource center.

The City Commission approved the pause during a special Saturday meeting. The motion directs officials to seek legal advice on whether the permit should be amended, suspended or revoked, with the matter expected to return to the commission by 5 p.m. on October 5.

Residents challenged the production’s local impact

Coverage of the meeting describes concerns about road closures, armed security and insufficient notice before effects involving blank gunfire, pyrotechnics and a staged vehicle crash. Police Chief Wayne Hard said his department had received complaints daily since filming began, although no violence had been reported.

The Livingston Food Resource Center said the shoot created avoidable barriers for people seeking assistance. Filming took place across the street from the organization, and the center said it was not notified before the permit was approved. It reported that attendance fell 17 percent on one day, reaching an eight-week low.

Pawn Shop centers on a federal immigration agent who seeks shelter in a neighborhood pawn shop after his partner is injured. Reporting on the production says the opening dramatizes an ICE shooting in Minnesota, a premise that also prompted local protests over the film’s political framing.

A temporary halt, not a cancellation

The permit suspension stops the Livingston shoot while city officials review their options; it does not cancel the movie. Filming had been scheduled to continue downtown through October 10. Daily Wire and production company Bonfire Legend had not provided an immediate public response in the reports consulted.

Deadline reported that a call sheet listed Danny Trejo, Harvey Keitel and Henry Thomas among the cast. The production is operating under a conditional start with SAG-AFTRA but is not covered by an IATSE contract, according to the outlet.

The dispute now turns on the city attorney’s review and whether Livingston can impose revised conditions that address notice, access and safety. Until commissioners act again, Pawn Shop remains a production in progress with its local permit on hold.