Edgar Wright directs kung-fu Apple Pay ad for Apple

A kung-fu tribute with a payment twist

Apple has released a new Apple Pay ad directed by Edgar Wright, the filmmaker behind Baby Driver and Shaun of the Dead. According to 9to5 Mac, the commercial was published on 9 November 2026 and draws on classic kung-fu cinema, with dramatic cuts, quick zooms and elaborate fight choreography.

The premise is simple. An unlikely hero fights off attackers using items grabbed from a convenience store as improvised weapons. Before each object becomes a weapon, he pays for it with Apple Pay, and a notice on screen warns viewers: professional stunts, do not attempt.

Wallets slow the villains down

The ad gives the hero an edge that his opponents lack. The villains still carry physical wallets, and digging for cards slows them down at crucial moments, giving the protagonist openings to strike.

Apple uses that contrast to make its marketing point: paying with an iPhone is quick because there is no card to find. The company describes the process as double-clicking the side button, glancing at the phone to authenticate with Face ID, then holding it near a contactless reader until a sound confirms the payment.

Part of a running campaign

This is not Apple's first cinematic push for its payment service. Last year the company released a fast-paced Apple Pay commercial in which a woman refuels her car while a Godzilla-like monster attacks a town.

The new film follows the same formula, pairing an established director with a short action story in which the payment service plays a central role. Wright is known for tightly edited action sequences, which fits the quick, choreographed style Apple has chosen for the campaign.

Why Apple keeps making these ads

Apple Pay works wherever a contactless payment symbol appears, from large retailers to small local shops, according to the company. Apple also claims that paying with an iPhone is safer than carrying a physical credit or debit card, because the phone's built-in protections guard each transaction.

By turning that convenience into the hero's secret weapon, Apple is arguing that leaving the wallet at home is not just easier but an advantage. The ad is entertainment first, but the message is aimed squarely at shoppers who have not yet switched to contactless payments on their phone.