BUTTE — Walking through the streets of Uptown Butte you see some of the reminders of last year’s filming of the "1923" television series. Well, the writer’s strike brought that to an end, but after five months the strike is now over, but that doesn’t mean filming is going to return to Butte.
“Well, unfortunately, when it comes to our future, they’re not going to come back to Montana with the presence they had before,” said Butte Civic Center Manager Bill Melvin.
The state legislature did not continue tax incentives that first attracted filmmakers to Montana like the "1923" series that filmed much of its first season in Uptown Butte in 2022.
“Not only had a huge effect on the Butte Civic Center, but it had an effect on all the vendors, hotels, and different businesses throughout town,” said Melvin.
The production was set to start filming its second season in Butte in June, but the writers' and actors' strikes delayed this production and others across the industry. Many Butte people found work during the first season.
“I was an extra in the very first episode, you can see my head in the back of the initial fight scene right at the very beginning and it was cool, it was a really cool experience,” said Butte resident Caleb Hill.
Though Hill wanted to participate in the second season, he still supports the writers and actors who went on strike.
“We need to recognize our artists, our writers, everybody and make sure they’re getting their fair share of what they’re creating,” said Hill.
