Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Anthony Ramos shocked by durian prices in Singapore

Meanwhile, director Steven Caple Jr. and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura shared where they would film a Transformers battle in the country.

Anthony Ramos holding Transformer toy and half-opened durian in shell.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts star Anthony Ramos was surprised to hear durians could cost $30. (Photos: Getty Images)

As locals, we usually don’t bat an eye at the price of durians. If we indulge in the King of Fruits (in Southeast Asia), we know we’re probably spending upwards of $50.

But don’t tell Anthony Ramos that, though, because he was already shocked to hear that durians cost at least $30.

During an interview on 26 May with local media at Marina Bay Sands for the global premiere of the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Ramos stated he hadn’t tried the stinky fruit but was determined to.

Co-star Dominique Fishback, 32, said, “The fancy ones are like, $30 for a fruit.”

“$30 for a fruit?” Ramos, 31, exclaimed.

Well, as a colleague commented, it seems Ramos hasn’t seen the melons and peaches in Japan then.

Though he still hadn’t tried the infamous fruit by the time the red carpet rolled out at the ArtScience Museum the next evening, he had already dug into a popular local dish - Hainanese chicken rice.

Even if he couldn’t recall the name.

He told Yahoo Southeast Asia on the red carpet, “I had some rice and chicken the other day. I can’t remember what it’s called.”

Was it chicken rice?

Ramos said it wasn’t - spoiler alert, it was. However, who can blame the boyishly handsome lead of Rise of the Beasts? It was his first time to Singapore, after all.

Filming a Transformers battle scene in Singapore

When Crazy Rich Asians was released, it was a treat to see local landmarks featured prominently in the film (which was set in Singapore). #SupportLocal, right?

While director Steven Caple Jr. intends to expand the Transformers film universe beyond Earth, we couldn’t help but subtly introduce the idea of filming in Singapore.

When asked where in Singapore he would film a Transformers battle scene, Caple, 35, replied, “Well, we haven't had a battle on the water yet. And I got a little tour of the river and I thought it was really beautiful. And I see there's a little islands all around [Singapore] so I feel like there's something to explore there.

“We might break new ground with actually having a battle scene in Transformers around waters, that could be pretty cool.”

For producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, he wouldn’t mind blowing up some iconic buildings.

The 66-year-old shared with Yahoo Southeast Asia on the red carpet, “I came to Singapore many, many years ago and I love the classic things like Raffles Hotel and the old look, you know. Malay Town's got a great look. But there's so much things to choose here.”

It’s unclear where he was referring to with “Malay Town” but it’s probably Kampong Glam.

“This, out here, looking at all the boats - it’s insane - and the architecture. We like shooting and blowing up really cool looking buildings, and there's a lot of good buildings here,” he added.

Well, we don’t know whether exploding Raffles Hotel onscreen is permitted, but it’ll make for a pretty cool visual. And it wouldn't be a first for a Singapore landmark either — Independence Day: Resurgence pretty much obliterated Marina Bay Sands back in 2016.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts releases in cinemas on 8 June.

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