Pawn Shop crew members quit upon realizing what they're shooting

While Ben Shapiro may claim that any obstacle toward making propaganda is a violation of his First Amendment rights, he apparently wasn’t all that keen on using that freedom of speech to tell people what the hell they were signing up for. “I was asked my availability, was told it was a ‘fun action movie’ in downtown Livingston. Great crew, great whatever. That was the whole pitch,” says the anonymous crew member. “So, I just said, ‘Yep, I’m available.'” It wasn’t until they were into the job that they learned what they were really shooting, and they say, “If I had known this, then I would not have even accepted the job.” 

And while many have already walked off the job, there are pretty obvious obstacles in place to keep other crew members—who are typically paid relatively little and may have long gaps between jobs—from doing the same. Many of the workers are not from Montana, where the production is taking place, and had to pay for their own travel home, according to local activist Brooklyn Wilde. Those who remain are in a pretty unpleasant situation, with the anonymous member interviewed saying they were trying to figure out how to withdraw gracefully or whether to use a pseudonym in the credits (similar to what many involved with Melania did). It doesn’t sound like the production has really done much to improve the safety for the people working, either. The crew member says that when they asked what the protocol was when they were shouted at or approached by angry protestors, “I was laughed at.” Yeah, that sounds like a Daily Wire movie alright. You can read IndieWire‘s whole report here.