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'Pawn Shop' Filming in Montana Amid Controversy, 'The History of Concrete' Surpasses $1 Million
Confirmed
In Short: 'Pawn Shop,' an immigration-themed film filming in Livingston, Montana, faces controversy over its plot and lack of community notification, while 'The History of Concrete' surpasses $1 million at the box office.
The film 'Pawn Shop,' currently filming in Livingston, Montana, is drawing controversy over its plot and the lack of community notification.
According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the film, which uses 'Pawn Shop' as a working title, explores themes of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The script, obtained by the Chronicle, includes scenes of rioters, addicts, and a Korean grocery called 'Kim's Seoul Market,' where characters are referred to as 'roof Koreans,' a term considered derogatory.
Livingston resident Mark York, who acted as an extra, said, 'They don’t tell the extras anything, other than what to do,' highlighting the limited information provided to those involved.
Alecia Jongeward, a resident living near the filming location, received the script from a Yellowstone Film Ranch worker and shared it with her neighbors.
Jongeward expressed concern about the production's impact on the community, noting, 'Everyone’s dogs are freaking out: gunshots, loud mobs, screaming heard for blocks at a time. They didn’t tell any of us about this production.'
Meanwhile, the documentary 'The History of Concrete' has surpassed the $1 million mark at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing platform-distributed documentary of 2026.
According to IndieWire, the film grossed just over $450,000 from 160 screens over the weekend, bringing its total to just north of $1.2 million.
The film has been particularly successful at the IFC Center, where it became the second highest-grossing debut behind 'Parasite,' and at smaller theaters like the Music Box in Chicago and BAM in Brooklyn.
John Wilson, the director of 'The History of Concrete,' has been praised for his unique approach to filmmaking.
Wilson told the Los Angeles Times, 'Funny is only funny if you don’t think it’s funny,' and 'I both embrace but betray certain rules,' indicating his unconventional methods.
Despite its success, 'The History of Concrete' has yet to match the grosses of other documentaries this year that debuted on many more screens.
What this adds
WarpBeat previously reported that 'The History of Concrete' had surpassed $1 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing platform-distributed documentary of 2026.
Background
John Wilson's Sundance-premiering documentary, 'The History of Concrete,' has surpassed $1 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing platform-distributed documentary of 2026.
What's confirmed
- The film 'Pawn Shop,' currently filming in Livingston, Montana, is drawing controversy over its plot and the lack of community notification.
- According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the film, which uses 'Pawn Shop' as a working title, explores themes of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- The script, obtained by the Chronicle, includes scenes of rioters, addicts, and a Korean grocery called 'Kim's Seoul Market,' where characters are referred to as 'roof Koreans,' a term considered derogatory.
- Livingston resident Mark York, who acted as an extra, said, 'They don’t tell the extras anything, other than what to do,' highlighting the limited information provided to those involved.
- Alecia Jongeward, a resident living near the filming location, received the script from a Yellowstone Film Ranch worker and shared it with her neighbors.
- Meanwhile, the documentary 'The History of Concrete' has surpassed the $1 million mark at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing platform-distributed documentary of 2026.
- According to IndieWire, the film grossed just over $450,000 from 160 screens over the weekend, bringing its total to just north of $1.2 million.
- The film has been particularly successful at the IFC Center, where it became the second highest-grossing debut behind 'Parasite,' and at smaller theaters like the Music Box in Chicago and BAM in Brooklyn.
- John Wilson, the director of 'The History of Concrete,' has been praised for his unique approach to filmmaking.
- Wilson told the Los Angeles Times, 'Funny is only funny if you don’t think it’s funny,' and 'I both embrace but betray certain rules,' indicating his unconventional methods.
- Despite its success, 'The History of Concrete' has yet to match the grosses of other documentaries this year that debuted on many more screens.
What's still developing
- “I now know the gist of it,” Boehm said regarding ICE being a central theme explored in the film.
- She said “Pawn Shop” is the subject of overlapping neighborhood group chats.
- “Finally, someone was like, ‘I got the script.’” “It is very much going along with the shots they’ve been doing within 100 meters from my home,” Jongeward said.
- “We found out about the movie... because I saw the sets go up,” said Executive Director Kaya Patten-Fusselman.
- “I asked if I could see a copy of the permits and why I wasn’t informed,” she said.
- Sonnier worked on mainstream movie projects including “Bone Tomahawk,” a 2015 Western horror film starring Kurt Russell.
- Acclaimed documentary NAZA is reporting a five-day gross of $86k since its theatrical debut Wednesday.
- John Wilson’s Sundance-premiering The History of Concrete from Magnolia Pictures is oh so solid, eyeing $450k on 160 screens in week three for a cume of over $1.2 million cume, making it the top grossing, platform-release doc of 2026.
- “The History of Concrete” already shattered records at the IFC Center, becoming its second highest-grossing debut behind “Parasite.” Last week, Magnolia saw strong numbers for the film in many markets, including earning $47,510 at the Music Box in Chicago, $34,534 at BAM in Brooklyn, and $24,653 at the Balboa, a small neighborhood theater in San Francisco.
- Low Cinema, a theater that Wilson operates in Ridgewood, Queens, has sold out every showing of “History of Concrete” through the end of October.
- “Melania,” Brett Ratner’s penetrating exploration of the life of First Lady Melania Trump, packed in the MAGA faithful to the tune of $16.7 million.
- “But it’s very loose and almost impossible to even identify at points,” he said.