Spy: Hollywood A-lister spotted dining in Ponsonby

Elizabeth Banks arrives at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Photo / Getty Images

Fabulous and funny Hollywood star Elizabeth Banks was spotted having dinner in Ponsonby last Saturday night.

The actress, director and producer was seen at A-list chef Nic Watt's Inca restaurant. The Hunger Games star was thought to be with her husband, sportswriter and film producer Max Handelman, and their sons, Magnus and Felix.

There was no private dining for the famous Charlie's Angels actor, writer and director. Spy's source says Banks was relaxed and low-key, enjoying the trendy South American street food and East Asian eatery. The 48-year-old was said to be glowing, possibly still tanned from a recent holiday in Greece.

Inca Ponsonby would not comment on their famous guest or what she chose off the menu.

In May, Banks tweeted to her 2.2 million Twitter followers, "Hollywood hasn't kicked me out yet! I need recs for good food in Auckland," a reference to news she would be filming movie A Mistake, in the City of Sails.

Recommendations for restaurants from followers included St Helier's Bay Bistro, iconic icecream spot Giapo, Depot Eatery and SkyCity's Gusto at the Grand.

In A Mistake, which is based on the bestselling Carl Shuker novel, Banks stars as Dr Elizabeth Taylor in the medical suspense drama, adapted for screen by Kiwi writer and director Christine Jeffs of Sylvia fame.

Banks' character finds her career and life turned upside down after an operation on a young woman goes terribly wrong.

The plot sees Taylor navigating her way through fallout from the mistake with her tough and abrasive personality, and follows how she and her career survive the turmoil within a plainly sexist field.

Industry sources are keeping quiet on locations for the Auckland shoot, but Spy has heard several big Kiwi names have made the film's cast and a large chunk of the production team are New Zealanders too. US entertainment publication Deadline reported that principal photography on A Mistake was due to start in mid August.

A Mistake is a production by New Zealand company GFC Films, produced by Matthew Metcalfe whose latest movie, Whina, the story of leader Dame Whina Cooper, has been praised universally.

Inca is close to GFC's office in Grey Lynn. If Banks was looking for stylish local digs Ponsonby side, Kiwi Hollywood star Karl Urban's pad may be free. He's back in Canada filming Season 4 of The Boys. Banks made an appearance in an episode in Season 3 of the hit Prime Video series.

Metcalfe and Jeffs secured $2.29 million towards producing A Mistake from the New Zealand Film Commission and Te Puna Kairangi, the Government's Premium Productions for International Audiences Fund.

Deadline reported that Cornerstone Films will launch international sales on the GFC production in Cannes, and is co-representing with UTA Independent Film Group in the US. Cornerstone and GFC also collaborated on Whina.