Man tries to hit Bay with air-con unit during HK set

SINGAPORE- In October, Transformers director Michael Bay was assaulted after a purportedly drugged man failed to extort money on set. The man then tried to smack Bay's face with the bulky item.

Recalling the run-in on the first day of shooting, Bay told The New Paper: "I was quick enough to dodge when I saw (the air-con thrown) at me... Security was on the guy right after he swung at my head.

"I grabbed him and kept him from me. I pushed him back."

You pushed him?

The very blonde and very lanky Bay nodded. "Won't you do that if someone came at you?"

Replaying the attack under the bright lights of the Four Seasons Hotel lobby, Bay dodged to the right, then straightened his 1.85m-tall frame, right hand outstretched.

But do not expect the air-con to figure as his weapon of choice over a robot any time soon. "It was a slow weapon," Bay said with a laugh.

Wait a minute, this was the same guy who spent the entire afternoon yelling at members of the media to get lost?

"I don't know what they (public relations) were thinking. You guys came at the worst possible time," Bay said. "It was our busiest day shooting."

Thanks for clearing that up and blogging about the air-con episode.

BLOG POST

Bay posted: "Every vendor where we shot (at) got paid a fair price for (the) inconvenience, but he wanted four times that amount. I told this man and his friends to forget it... He didn't like that answer."

Even with security guards swarming, the attacker behaved "like a zombie from the film World War Z", Bay recalled.

What about the alleged second run-in, where four men tried to intimidate a female production crew member for money?

Bay was dismissive, saying: "My crew and I have been having a great time in Hong Kong - despite what you may have read about us being 'rocked by a second extortion attempt'."

Even Transformers star Mark Wahlberg was cool in the face of fury, adding: "Everybody's blown it out of proportion."

But ask for details about the Age Of Extinction, Bay was tight-lipped.

He said: "I've redesigned all the Transformers and we have a lot of fresh stuff... I don't want to give too much away. You'll understand why we have a new cast when it's out (in June)."

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