transformers-age-of-extinction

Michael Bay has produced incredibly action sequences in 3D, making us react every time something was thrown in our direction. But today the director had to do the same but to avoid was a real piece of machinery that had his face as target.

Luckily he wasn’t injured, but we can’t say the same about China’s reputation as a safe destination for filming crews. Read his recount (posted on his website) of this bizarre incident in Hong Kong, while shooting Transformers: Age of Extinction.

“Hi, it’s Michael.

Yes, the story is being passed around is not all true! Yes, some drugged up guys were being belligerent asses to my crew for hours in the morning of our first shoot day in Hong Kong. One guy rolled metal carts into some of my actors trying to shake us down for thousands of dollars to not play his loud music or hit us with bricks.

Every vendor where we shot got paid a fair price for our inconvenience, but he wanted four times that amount. I personally told this man and his friends to forget it we were not going to let him extort us. He didn’t like that answer. So an hour later he came by my crew as we were shooting, carrying a long air conditioner unit. He walked right up to me and tried to smack my face, but I ducked threw the air unit on the floor and pushed him away. That’s when the security jumped on him. But it took seven big guys to subdue him. It was like a Zombie in Brad Pitt’s movie World War Z—he lifted seven guys up and tried to bite them. He actually bit into one of the guards Nike shoe, insane. Thank god it was an Air Max, the bubble popped, but the toe was saved.

Then it took fifteen Hong Kong cops in riot gear to deal with these punks. In all, four guys were arrested for assaulting the officers.

After that, we had a great day shooting here in Hong Kong.”

If Transformers 5 includes zombies you will know where that idea came from.

Transformers 4 opens in 3D, on June 27, 2014.