Montana’s mining towns, particularly Butte, have seen an economic revival thanks to Hollywood productions like 1923, a prequel to Yellowstone.
Butte, once Montana’s largest city and the heart of a copper mining boom that earned it the nickname ‘the richest hill on earth,’ has since seen its population shrink to around 36,000.
The town has grappled with the aftermath of mining waste and a shortage of well-paying jobs.
Hollywood’s arrival offered a new kind of boom—this time in the form of economic opportunities and celebrity sightings. Locals whispered about Harrison Ford enjoying drinks at the bar and Helen Mirren shopping at Walmart. Not to mention that Alec Baldwin just wrapped up filming the movie Rust in Livingston, a town close to Butte, last year.
Paige Layne, a new security guard in her hometown of Butte, Montana, was several weeks into her job when she discovered she was guarding the set of 1923, the multimillion-dollar prequel to the hit show Yellowstone.
News spread quickly, and soon the entire town was buzzing with excitement about the production.
The premiere of 1923 drew an audience 200 times the size of Butte’s population, but initial reactions to the filming were mixed.
Residents like Layne were skeptical, worried that the influx of Hollywood productions—including films like Last Survivors (2021), Ghosts of Devil’s Perch (2022), and Father Stu (2022)—might drive up prices in a town already affected by an influx of remote workers during the pandemic.
Montana ’s mining towns, particularly Butte, have seen an economic revival thanks to Hollywood productions like 1923, a prequel to Yellowstone
Locals whispered about Harrison Ford enjoying drinks at the bar and Helen Mirren shopping at Walmart
‘We don’t like outsiders unless you have a really good reason to be in town,’ Layne told the New York Times. ‘This is our town—we love our people.’
However, as filming progressed, opinions softened. Locals were hired for various roles, and the influx of cast and crew brought money into local businesses.
Bartenders shared stories of Harrison Ford buying rounds for the house, and the production team took a genuine interest in the town’s history and culture.
‘They came in and they ruffled some feathers, man, they really did, but by the end of it, they were contributing to our local community,’ said Layne, who even worked as an extra on set.
Butte’s rugged beauty and historic architecture have made it a magnet for filmmakers. The Uptown district, with its sprawling mansions and faded brick facades, offers an authentic glimpse into the past.
Hollywood crews have filmed in local diners, bars, union halls, and courthouses. For 1923, entire streets were closed as extras rode horses alongside the stars.
The productions have left lasting benefits. Props were donated to a children’s theater, surplus food went to a local mission, and vintage items from 1923 now decorate the historic Front Street Station, where owners Tom and Janel Madrazo rented out their space for filming. They marveled at the crew’s attention to detail, down to using 1923 coins in scenes.
Butte, once Montana’s largest city and the heart of a copper mining boom, has grappled with the aftermath of mining waste and a shortage of well-paying jobs
Yet, there have been challenges. Road closures and canceled events caused frustrations, and some residents were disappointed that Butte stood in for the more famous Bozeman in 1923.
Montana’s 2019 tax credit for film productions has been key to attracting Hollywood. Between 2020 and 2022, productions spent $77.5 million in the state.
But industry leaders, like filmmaker Lynn-Wood Fields, worry Montana could lose its momentum unless lawmakers raise the current $12 million cap on credits.
She advocates for additional incentives to support local filmmakers alongside major Hollywood productions.
Former state lawmaker Jim Keane emphasized the ripple effect of productions like 1923. ‘The truckers, crane operators, caterers—this is what makes it valuable,’ he said.
Pictured: Harrison Ford and his costars on the set of 1923
For locals like Joe Sullivan, the film industry has been transformative.
Sullivan, a Butte native and production assistant, thought he’d have to leave Montana to pursue a film career. Instead, his five-day gig on Yellowstone grew into seven years of work on major projects.
‘This isn’t L.A. This isn’t New York. It isn’t normal to us,” he said. “This is magic to us.”
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