Society Insider: Hollywood stars touring NZ as Minecraft sequel filming ends and Hunt for Gollum begins

The Hunt for Gollum (THFG) director and star Andy Serkis (Gollum) is also said to be a fan of the Park Hyatt. The actor has been in the country for a few months preparing for the THFG shoot.

Andy Serkis on his first day of filming The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum in Wellington. Photo / @Andyserkis

In May, Serkis performed a special monologue at Starship children’s hospital’s Star Gala at the Auckland Town Hall.

With him were his wife, fellow Brit and actor Lorraine Ashbourne and THFG co-producer and co-writer Philippa Boyens.

Taika Waititi (left), Phoebe Gittins, Mel Booth, Andy Serkis, Janine Hedley, Philippa Boyens, Cliff Curtis, Arty Papageorgiou, James Friend and Lorraine Ashbourne at the Star Gala. Photo / Alisha Lovrich

At the recent All Blacks game against Ireland at Eden Park, Momoa and his son Wolf socialised with Serkis and other stars, including Elijah Wood (Frodo), The White Lotus star Leo Woodall (Halvard), and Fifty Shades of Grey star, Irish actor Jamie Dornan (Aragorn), who had to watch as Momoa celebrated the All Blacks’ win.

Jason Momoa and Jamie Dornan in the stands at Eden Park. Photo / @Allthingsrugbygram

The week before, the Gollum stars were joined by Gandalf himself, Sir Ian McKellen at the All Blacks versus Italy test in Wellington.

While in Auckland, Wood was spotted dining at Mexican hotspot Taco Loco in Westmere with Kiwi director Ant Timpson, who directed Wood in his 2024 movie Bookworm.

In May Wood presented Sir Peter Jackson with his honorary Palme d’Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

In May, Elijah Wood presented Sir Peter Jackson with his honorary Palme d’Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Photo / Getty Images

McKellen was a surprise guest on Friday evening at a screening of the documentary There’s a Hole in My Bucket by Royd Tolkien, the great-grandson of LOTR literary great J.R.R. Tolkien.

Royd Tolkien and Sir Ian McKellen at the Roxy Theatre. Photo / @Roydtolkien

Tolkien gave a Q&A session at the Doc Edge Festival at the Roxy Cinema in Miramar, where he explained that the film was his way of ticking off his late brother Mike’s mostly-New-Zealand‑based bucket list. Mike died of motor neurone disease in 2014.

The documentary is narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, with Sir Peter Jackson, Billy Boyd and John Rhys-Davies also featuring.

Wood has also been spotted back on his old stomping ground Cuba St Mall, and it is understood his wife of one year, Danish film producer Mette-Marie Kongsved, has visited.

Elijah Wood and his wife Mette-Marie Kongsved. Photo / Getty Images

Society Insider is told the Wellington haunts of cast and crew include Monsoon Poon, Wellington Sea Market and The Larder in Miramar.

Dornan is currently in Wellington; his wife, English composer Amelia Warner, and their three young daughters are said to have joined him.

Jamie Dornan and Amelia Warner on a previous holiday together. Photo / @Awarnermusic

The family also enjoyed the All Blacks’ game together in the capital and are said to have visited Breaker Bay in Miramar, and AdventureRama in Lower Hutt.

Serkis had his youngest son, actor Louis, with him at the All Blacks’ game in Wellington. Louis celebrated his 22nd birthday in the capital, and father and son have been making the most of the rugged Kiwi outdoors, with hikes at Paraparaumu on the Kāpiti Coast.

Andy Serkis and his son Louis (left) explore the Kāpiti Coast. Photo / @Louis.serkis

Still to surface are the movie’s female lead, Oscar winner Kate Winslet (Marigol), and Anna Taylor-Joy (Seren), who will soon star in Dune: Part Three.

Winslet has reportedly arrived in Wellington, while Taylor-Joy is expected any day now – she was last seen in New York attending the 2026 Fifa World Cup Final between her native Argentina and Spain.

Gollum producers Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh own an extensive slice of real estate in Karaka Bay on the Miramar Peninsula and live minutes away from the film set. The film’s stars may also get the invite to Jackson and Walsh’s private 37-hectare rural estate in the Wairarapa.

Party People of the Week

Vichy Laboratoires launch

Vichy Laboratoires painted the town red for its New Zealand launch last Wednesday evening, turning Darling on Drake into a dramatic claret-coloured lounge in honour of the French brand arriving in New Zealand.

L’Oréal’s Imogen Sutcliffe welcomed guests before handing the microphone to Coast Breakfast star Toni Street, who had been announced as the face of Vichy Laboratoires earlier that day in Viva.

Toni Street and Danielle Crooks. Photo / Hope Patterson

Street hosted a panel alongside L’Oréal’s medical representative Danielle Crooks, leading dermatologist Dr Monique McKenzie and Andrea O’Hagan, head of marketing for Chemist Warehouse, where Vichy is exclusively available.

A dynamic DJ and violin duo then turned the music up as guests mingled, enjoying champagne, bespoke cocktails and delicious bites.

Other guests included founder of Sauce, Zeenat Wilkinson; fashion and beauty influencer Jungwon Jo; model Maya Silwood; The Lit List’s Rachel Soo Thow and L’Oréal’s Poppy Compston.

Poppy Compston and Imogen Sutcliffe. Photo / Hope Patterson Zeenat Wilkinson and Junwon Jo. Photo / Hope PattersonMaya Silwood. Photo / Hope Patterson Steve Huynh and Rachel Soo Thow. Photo / Hope Patterson Vanessa Marshall and Megan Bedford. Photo / Hope Patterson Jordi Grace, Georgia Bradley, Shannen Frear and Courtney Sammut. Photo / Hope Patterson Louise Hilz and Trudi Brewer. Photo / Hope Patterson Fatima Savea. Photo / Hope Patterson Caitlin Kunz and Kelly Walsh. Photo / Hope Patterson Akhil Roy and Teena S Mathew. Photo / Hope Patterson Stephanie Lai, Varsha Reddy and Amanda Bradley. Photo / Hope Patterson

Ricardo Simich has been with the Herald since 2008 where he contributed to The Business Insider. In 2012 he took over Spy at the Herald on Sunday, which has since evolved into Society Insider. The weekly column gives a glimpse into the worlds of the rich and famous.