Hollywood
Cinépolis to accept UPI payments through HSBC
NEW DELHI: Cinépolis, which claims to be India’s first international and the world’s fourth largest Cineplex chain, has launched a Unified Payment Interface (UPI) across all its multiplexes in the country as part of the current government’s ‘go-cashless’ and digital economy drive.
Patrons and cinema lovers can have the convenience of transaction through UPI which operates on the concept of a Virtual Payment Address (VPA).
Cinépolis is India’s first movie theatre chain where customers can pay through UPI at the offline stores. This payment solution is implemented by HSBC bank across all Cinépolis outlets.
Cinépolis India CFO Rodrigo Perez Morales said: “This will prove to be a game changer for the multiplex industry as it will lessen the cost of transactions along with a quicker checkout experience. Our patrons can now watch movies without worrying about the cash payment as UPI will smoothly allow the transition to a cashless economy by providing a unique identity (VPA) for any consumer holding a smart phone and a bank account. We are hopeful that we will have a phenomenal response and all our customers will gradually adapt to Unified Payment Interface.”
Cinépolis India director – India strategic initiatives Devang Sampat added, “With a strong drive of encouraging digital transactions, we are delighted to partner with HSBC India and launch Unified Payments Interface across all our properties. UPI allows users to send and receive money through their smartphones with the help of VPA (Virtual Payment Address). Patrons will just have to share their VPA at the booking counter and they will receive one notification on their mobile app to approve the transaction. In future, we will keep on adding new digital mode of payments at Cinépolis to give our patrons options to transact digitally.”
HSBC India managing director and head global liquidity and cash management. Divyesh Dalal said, “The UPI solution will now allow movie lovers to pay seamlessly for tickets and food and beverage across various Cinépolis locations in India thus providing a superior customer experience. It will also help to reduce the average waiting time”.
“Given the enhanced coverage, interoperability and cost dynamics of the UPI solution, we expect the acceptance of UPI-based payments to increase over time. Our UPI offering aims at providing a channel agnostic collection solution to corporates, which will enable Cinépolis to drive sales through increased digitization of flows,” he added.
The partnership between Cinépolis and HSBC India is aimed at encouraging movie patrons to increasingly transact using digital and cashless options.
UPI was launched by National Payments Corporation of India along with Reserve Bank of India to enable the consumers to make payments through their smartphones. It is basically an interface through which account holder of one bank can transfer/receive money to someone having account in same/different bank through a smartphone. There is no need for sharing each other’s bank account details. There is also no need for swiping debit/credit card, keying in your confidential PIN.
Cinépolis India started its operations in India in 2009 at Amritsar and currently operates 291 screens under the brand names of Cinépolis, Cinépolis VIP and Fun Cinemas.
Hollywood
New Lord of the Rings film in works with Stephen Colbert co-writing
Late-night host joins Tolkien universe as franchise expands with new story
LOS ANGELES: After more than a decade behind the late-night desk, Stephen Colbert is setting course for Middle-earth. The comedian and long-time The Lord of the Rings superfan has announced he will co-write and develop a new film in the beloved fantasy franchise once his run on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ends in May.
In a video posted on Tuesday, Colbert confirmed that he will begin work on the project following the end of his 11-year stint as host of CBS’s late-night show, marking a clear shift from monologues to Middle-earth.
Colbert shared the update alongside filmmaker Peter Jackson, the director behind the original trilogy that turned Tolkien’s sprawling tale into a global cinematic phenomenon. For Colbert, this is less a career pivot and more a passion project years in the making.
The film, tentatively titled “Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past”, is still in early development, with no director attached yet. Colbert will be joined in the writing process by his son, screenwriter peter mcgee, and Philippa Boyens, who helped shape the original films.
This project marks one of two new entries currently in the works under Warner Bros Discovery and New Line Cinema. The other, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, is already in pre-production, signalling a fresh push to expand Tolkien’s cinematic universe.
First published in the mid-1950s, Tolkien’s epic has long held a firm grip on readers and viewers alike. Jackson’s original trilogy alone grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide, with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King sweeping the Academy Awards, including best picture.
For Colbert, whose love for Tolkien lore is well documented, the move feels almost inevitable. The punchlines may pause, but the storytelling continues, this time with a ring, a quest, and perhaps a few surprises tucked along the way.
