Photo caption: A building that was once closed and boarded up in downtown Pawhuska is under renovation and being turned into the Liberty Cafe, a café that was once in downtown 1920s Fairfax. SHANNON SHAW DUTY/Osage News

Preparations have begun for filming in downtown Pawhuska. Buildings along Kihekah Avenue are slowly transforming into 1920s Fairfax for the upcoming film, “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

According to production staff, and working in conjunction with the Pawhuska City Council, traffic will be one-way, northbound, on Kihekah Avenue between 6^th and 8^th streets beginning Monday, May 3. At a later date yet to be announced, the road will be closed to traffic.

Further instructions include: 

– Curbside public parking on both the east and west sides of the street will also be closed between 6th and 7th streets.

– Westbound traffic on 7th and 8th streets will not be permitted to turn left (southbound) on Kihekah.

-Westbound traffic on 6^th street is permitted to turn left (southbound) on Kihekah Ave.

– Southbound Kihekah traffic coming down the hill into town will be directed eastward at 8th street.

The film is an adaptation of David Grann’s bestselling book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.” The book details the true story of the systematic murders of Osage tribal members for their oil wealth in the 1920s. The story also chronicles the investigation of federal agents and the evil they discover lurking on the reservation.

Renovations to building interiors and storefronts on Kihekah Avenue are coming to fruition. Hometown Appliance, the Big Rain Gallery, and a number of other privately owned businesses are getting a facelift as they are turned into sets for filming.

“We will provide further details on full road closures as we get closer to our filming period as well as any related pertinent information,” according to the email. “Thank you for your time, consideration and generous hospitality. We are excited to be using the City of Pawhuska as our filming location and look forward to working with community members and visitors.”