Michael Bay Says Attacker was Like a 'World War Z' Zombie

The first headline movie fans probably woke up to was that Michael Bay had been jumped by two dudes on the Hong Kong set for Transformers: Age of Extinction. The attackers were said to have been demanding money and when refused a brawl ensued. Nothing major, nobody was hurt, and the guys were arrested and charged. It all sounded a little too much like the set up to one of Bay's movies, and as it turns out, the situation was overblown somewhat.

The studio issued a statement and it sounds like Bay was never in any real danger. Well, unless the kids are using air conditioners as lethal weapons these days?

"The man, who had earlier accosted several other crew members, rushed onto the set in Quarry Bay and swung the air conditioning unit directly at Bay’s head," the studio statement/script read. "The director ducked and wrested the air conditioner from his attacker, preventing what could have been a serious accident. The company’s security team quickly stepped in and subdued the assault. The police, who also scuffled with the assailant and two of his companions, ultimately arrested the three men. No one on the cast or crew was injured and the production immediately resumed filming without further incident.”

For what it's worth, Bay didn't seem phased by it, and soon released his own description of the incident which includes a reference to Brad Pitt's World War Z. Isn't that another Paramount film? Unintentional synergy!!!

"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."

So file all of this away just in case Will Smith gets attacked with an A.C. unit in Bad Boys 3 or something.