Hong Kong's retail rents are infamously expensive, which is why shopkeepers, both owners and leasers have become quite possessive about their space turning into one of those 'Decepticons' shown in the 'Transformers' franchise.
A latest incident might be a reflection of the growing frustration of shop owners in Hong Kong on the rising property costs in the area. Michael Bay, the director of the upcoming sequel to sci-fi flick 'Transformer 4' was attacked by a shop keeper on the sets of the movie, according to several news reports.
Apparently, while Bay was shooting with the actors, a shopkeeper came in and started demanding more than $13,000, which was four times the price a vendor would get for space invasion and disturbance during the shoot. When Bay refused, the man came back an hour later with a long A.C and hurled it at the director!
On his official blog, Bay wrote:
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.
Four guys were arrested in the incident on account of blackmail and assault. Some news reports had claimed that Bay was hurt but apparently he battled the man and successfully dodged the A.C, escaping unhurt.
"Contrary to several erroneous news reports made today, Bay did not get hurt in a fight on set," Paramount said in a statement. Michael Bay decided to move on and shoot the rest of the day.
Although the incident might be fueled by some intoxicated rebels trying to mess around with the shooting, the rising rental graph in the area cannot be dismissed. Back in April, we reported a feature which emphasized on the fact that mom n pop stores, small shop owners and ground retailers were being wiped off the Hong Kong retail market with landlords hiking rents by almost 50 to 70 percent.
However, now, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that rent increases have paused in the wake of a Chinese economic slowdown. Some shops have remained vacant for a few months now!
But rents have only paused! A large number of American luxury retailers like Victoria's Secret and Calvin Klein are opening up stores in the major shopping districts of Hong Kong which is bound to make business more difficult for the small shop owners.
For now, we are glad that Michael Bay is safe and the shooting continues and hope that more attacks don't follow. 'Transformers 4: The Age of Extinction' will hit the theaters on June 27, 2014.
Check out the trailer of the movie below:
