Sustainable Tarras has received some not insignificant donations since Sir Sam Neill died but the latest one came from the elite of Hollywood’s elite.

The environmental group, which opposes the planned Santana Minerals gold mine in Central Otago, which Sir Sam also opposed, revealed on Monday it had received a donation from film director Steven Spielberg.

Spielberg, who directed movies such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws and Schindler’s List, has donated money through Amblin Entertainment, a company he founded in 1975.

He worked with Sir Sam on the movie Jurassic Park in 1993.

When news of Sir Sam’s death broke, Spielberg released a statement praising him.

“Sam was exceptionally collaborative.

‘‘It was a stretch for him to play a character who acted as though children were messy and smelly because this was the opposite of the loving father he was to his children.

“I adored making all the Jurassic movies with him.

‘‘Along with Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, we will always have our Jurassic family, and Sam will never be forgotten by us or his many millions of fans around the world.”

A Sustainable Tarras spokesman, who declined to be named, said the donation was not expected and a very nice surprise.

After his death, his family listed Sustainable Tarras among four causes for suggested donations in his memory.

“And I think based on that, Spielberg reached out, quite humbly.

‘‘It was his secretary, or the secretary of the company that he runs, that contacted us.

‘‘[They] just asked us for bank details so that he could put the money across.”

He declined to say how much money Spielberg donated.

The money would be well used as the group was still active.

The spokesperson said since Sir Sam’s death last month there had been an increase in the number of donations coming in.

The donations showed how highly he was regarded.

“I think we were all kind of quite surprised about the wide appeal and the outpouring that happened when he died.

“I think Sam stood for some basic . . . New Zealand values.

“Even though he was a global superstar, he was still a humble man who loved the country and loved to reach out to people.’’