Chief entertainment reporter Jenni Mortimer with all the gossip from the Met Gala. Video / Ryan Bridge TODAY
Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars have been spotted frequenting Auckland streets and establishments as production on a major film gets underway.
The sequel to A Minecraft Movie (2025) has begun filming in Huntly and in various locations across Auckland, with actor Jack Black – starring as protagonist Steve – confirminghis arrival on social media this morning.
“And so it begins …” Black captioned the post, accompanied by a portrait of the star holding a pixelated flame.
Production officially began at the end of April and is expected to take several months, with the film’s theatre release slated for July 23, 2027.
Among the stars reviving their roles in the New Zealand-shot film are White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge and Jason Momoa, whose company Āriki Group – jointly owned with Taika Waititi and actor Cliff Curtis – recently acquired long-running Auckland film studio Studio West.
Kirsten Dunst has also been cast in a newly introduced role and is expected to make her way to New Zealand for filming.
Staff huddled together for photos with the actress, posting the images to social media this morning with the caption: “Jennifer Coolidge loves Vintage and we love her right back.“
“Thanks for coming in and hanging out, Jennifer!” they added.
Pierce Brosnan was seen eating at Soul Bar & Restaurant on the Auckland Viaduct yesterday with family.
Another woman claimed to have run into Coolidge on Saturday night while out for dinner at an unspecified Herne Bay restaurant.
“We were right next to each other but [I was] too shy to ask for a pic,” she wrote on Facebook.
“Nice they feel they can come to NZ and not be disturbed too much.”
Separately, one couple ran into Black on Sunday during a stroll through central Auckland.
The 52-year-old was dressed in a tie-dye shirt and shorts, wearing a pounamu necklace and over-ear headphones.
Footage taken by the couple shows Black walking alongside them as he sings into their phone, while another photo captured them shaking hands with the actor before parting ways.
Irish actor Pierce Brosnan, who starred as the secret 007 agent in four James Bond films before Daniel Craig took the mantle, is also visiting the country, having been snapped indulging in a leisurely meal at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour yesterday with his family.
The 72-year-old dined at Soul Bar & Bistro, an upscale bar and restaurant that has historically played host to many A-list celebrities visiting Tāmaki Makaurau, including Jay Z and Beyonce, Scarlett Johansson, Bono and Charlize Theron.
