Threats Slow Film With Militia Angle Casting Calls For ‘The Patriot’ Held Up After Messages Warn Of Infiltration

Steven Seagal is having some run-ins with the Montana militia over his new movie, and filming has yet to start.

Seagal is scheduled to begin rehearsals for “The Patriot” here later this week. But the film crew already has called authorities, including the FBI, because of anonymous threats from callers identifying themselves as militia members.

“The Patriot” is about a doctor-rancher, played by Seagal, who tries to save the town of Ennis from a deadly biochemical toxin. Ennis, which plays itself, was chosen mainly because Seagal’s real-life 15,000-acre Sun Ranch is nearby.

In the story, a renegade government lab worker steals the toxin, which somehow falls into the hands of the militia, killing some militia members as well as townspeople.

Early press reports, however, incorrectly said the script has the militia stealing the toxin and deliberately unleashing it on the town. And that has riled up militia supporters.

Casting-audition coordinator Tina Buckingham said she has received threats from people saying they belong to the militia and that they will infiltrate the film - either as extras or food service workers - so they can sabotage equipment or contaminate the food.

“We can’t afford to treat it lightly,” Buckingham said. Casting calls were held up while filmmakers beefed up security to scrutinize applicants. “We wouldn’t know if someone was a militia member. They could look normal. We don’t do brain scans.”

Lonie Stimac, head of the state film office, said she was called by the producer about the threats.

“We take anything seriously that affects film production in the state,” Stimac said. “We apprise the governor’s office when something like this comes up. We don’t want that image of Montana and we don’t want film production threatened.”

A member of a militia-affiliated group in Bozeman, Mont., denied that anyone in her organization would threaten the filmmaking.

“We might picket the film after it was out if we didn’t like it,” said Kamala Webb, whose group is known as Citizens for a Free America.

“But anyone can say they belong to the militia and make a threat,” Webb said. “The best militia is unorganized. We don’t have membership lists or officers. So we can’t really say someone wouldn’t do it. But it’s not something we would do.”