Livingston Commissioners Suspend Permit for Ben Shapiro Film Production

Town commissioners in Livingston, Montana voted on Saturday to temporarily suspend the filming permit for the Daily Wire's upcoming movie, tentatively titled "Pawn Shop," which stars Harvey Keitel and Danny Trejo. The decision follows complaints that the production, which reportedly has a $1.5 million budget, was allowed to occupy several streets for a modest $5,000 fee under the town's existing permitting rules.

"I am absolutely infuriated with the either malfeasance or lack of competence by the people that are operating a movie production event in our town," commissioner and vice chair James Willich said during the meeting.

The commission plans to reconvene on Monday to discuss further actions, including potential reforms to the town's film-permitting procedures. No representatives from the film crew attended the hearing to address the concerns.

Local officials and business owners expressed that the production caused significant disruption to the community of roughly 9,000 residents, citing issues such as street closures and inadequate oversight. The controversy has drawn attention to the town's permitting process rather than the film's subject matter.