Attention Kiwi foodies.
Elizabeth Banks is to start filming a new movie in New Zealand later this year and she wants your food recommendations for Auckland.
The Charlies Angels actress has signed on for A Mistake, an upcoming medical suspense drama by writer and director Christine Jeffs. The film will be based on the novel by Carl Shuker and Deadline have reported filming will commence on August 15 right here in New Zealand.
Banks shared the exciting news on her Twitter account with a tweet saying, "Hollywood hasn't kicked me out yet! I need recs for good food in Auckland," alongside a link to the Deadline article.
Fans quickly started replying with their excitement about the actress's announcement. One fan said "You'll love it here. Lots of good food", while another said "Hollywood will never kick you out! You're one in a million!"
Meanwhile, restaurant and food recommendations included St Helier's Bay Bistro, iconic icecream parlour Giapo, popular oyster bar Depot Eatery and Sky City's Gusto at the Grand.
The plot of A Mistake is centred on gifted surgeon Elizabeth Taylor – played by Banks - who finds her career and life turned upside down after an operation on a young woman goes terribly wrong.
Taylor, who happens to be the only female consult in the hospital, has to navigate her way through the fallout of the mistake with her tough and abrasive personality. While she has been successful and endured big challenges in her demanding line of work, the film focuses on how - and if - she will survive this.
The film is a GFC Films production and has received a financial offer from the New Zealand Film Commission and Te Puna Kairangi, the New Zealand Government's Premium Productions for International Audiences Fund.
The film is good news for David Strong, who took over as CEO of the NZ Film Commission last year. While he was speaking to the Herald's Jane Phare in September it was revealed the commission was in talks with several big US studios who had large film projects in mind.
"When say large, I mean in the $100 million-plus bracket that are actively considering New Zealand as a location," Strong said at the time.
Strong also acknowledged the screen sector, including gaming, is worth an estimated $3.3 billion a year and about 15,000 jobs in New Zealand, "so it's a significant contributor to our economy".