Skin Trade (film)

''Skin Trade'' is a 2014 American action thriller film directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham. It stars Dolph Lundgren, Tony Jaa, Michael Jai White, and Ron Perlman. Lundgren wrote the film with Gabriel Dowrick and Steven Elder, while John Hyams performed uncredited script revisions. The film centers around New Jersey police detective Nick Cassidy, as he travels to Asia intent on killing the man who murdered his family, mobster Viktor Dragovic.

Development started in 2007 after Lundgren read a news report about a group of girls being smuggled into the United States from Mexico. The girls were left in a vehicle along the border and, trapped inside, they all died of heat stroke and suffocation. ''Skin Trade'' had a $9 million production budget, and was shot over 50 days in Canada and Thailand.

The film premiered at the American Film Market on November 7, 2014. This was followed by a limited theatrical release, starting on April 9, 2015, in the United Arab Emirates, and succeeded by Thailand (on April 23), Malaysia (on April 30), and the United States (on May 8). The film grossed $384 000 at the worldwide box office, but received mostly negative reviews; particular criticism was aimed at Jaa's fluency in English, as well as the film's approach to the topic of human trafficking.

Plot

In the prologue, a Cambodian girl leaves her village for Bangkok. Upon arriving, she is drugged, kidnapped and sold into the "skin trade" (human trafficking).

In Newark, New Jersey as Detective Nick Cassidy, a New Jersey police detective seeking to avenge the murder of his family
*Tony Jaa as Detective Tony Vitayakul, a Thailand police detective tasked with arresting Cassidy
*Michael Jai White as Agent Reed, a corrupt FBI agent working for Dragovic
*Ron Perlman as Viktor Dragovic, a Serbian war criminal also a mobster running an international human trafficking ring
*Mike Dopud as Goran Dragovic, Viktor's eldest son, who oversees his father's operations in the Middle-East
*David Westerman as Ivan Dragovic, Viktor's other son, who oversees his father's operations in South-East Asia
*Leo Rano as Janko Dragovic, Viktor's son from another relationship, who manages a chain of nightclubs in Thailand
*Michael G. Selby as Andre Dragovic, Viktor's youngest son
* Celina Jade as Min, Tony's girlfriend
* Peter Weller as Captain Costello, the captain of Cassidy's police department in Newark, New Jersey
*Tasya Teles as Rosa Cassidy, Nick's wife
*Chloe Babcook as Sofia Cassidy, Nick's teenage daughter

The film also stars Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Khat, a member of the Cambodian Senate; Maethi Thapthimthong as Nung, Vitayakul's partner on the Thai police force; and Bryce Hodgson as Dex, a petty criminal from New Jersey. The film's co-writer, Steven Elder, appears in a minor role as Dragovic's attorney.

Production

Development and writing

Lundgren started researching human trafficking in 2005.Rader, Dotson
"30 Years After 'Rocky IV', Dolph Lundgren Turns New Page in ''Skin Trade''"
''www.parade.com'', published May 15, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015. He claimed there were "20 million slaves in the world", and that human trafficking was a "$20 billion industry"; the world's "second largest" illegal trafficking enterprise (as of 2015).Lundgren's presentation and speech at the 'TEDxFulbright' charity event in Santa Monica, California. Saturday, September 26, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2015. He started developing ''Skin Trade'' in 2007, after reading a news report about a group of girls being smuggled into the United States from Mexico. The girls were left in a vehicle along the border; trapped inside and with no means of escape, they all died of heat stroke and suffocation. Lundgren, who had two young daughters at the time, felt the story of human trafficking "had to be told"."EX3 character bios, Dolph Lundgren ''Skin Trade'' interview, Jackie Chan turns 60"
''www.expendablespremiere.com'', published August 4, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2015. He empathized with the victims, saying: "these people are physically humiliated ndpsychologically abused to have no self worth, sort of like owI used to feel".

Lundgren wrote the screenplay with Gabriel Dowrick and Steven Elder,Nix
"More on Dolph Lundgren and Tony Jaa's Ass-Kicking Team-Up 'Skin Trade'"
''www.beyondhollywood.com'', published February 6, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014.Brown, Todd

''Twitch Film'', published June 18, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2014. while John Hyams performed uncredited script revisions, seven in total, frequently regarding the setting as Lundgren sought financing.McKittrick, Christopher
"It's a lonely job, you know?" Dolph Lundgren on Screenwriting"
''www.creativescreenwriting.com'', published June 5, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015. The original script was set in Russia. Lundgren even went as far as to personally scout for locations and actors, and to seek financing in Moscow, but it "didn't work out". He changed the setting to Southeast Asia after meeting "someone" interested in financing the film.

Casting

Originally, Lundgren planned on playing a supporting role, with a more famous actor in the lead.Paul, Alex
"Dolph Lundgren Interview"
, ''www.theactionelite.com'', published April 14, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2015.Kit, Borys
"''Expendables'' star a Fulbright scholar?"
''The Hollywood Reporter'', published August 16, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2014. He also considered directing the film,Kenber, Ben
"Exclusive Video Interview: Dolph Lundgren And Tony Jaa Talk ''Skin Trade''"
''www.wegotthiscovered.com'', published May 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015. but decided against it, as he desired to learn more about producing.Pappademas, Alex
"Drago Bleeds: An Emotional, Career-Spanning Conversation With Dolph Lundgren"
''www.grantland.com'', published May 13, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015. In 2013, Lundgren announced the casting of Tony Jaa, in the role of Tony Vitayakul; and Ekachai Uekrongtham as the director.Brown, Todd
"Dolph Lundgren Taps ''Beautiful Boxer'' director for ''Skin Trade''"
, ''Twitch Film'', published June 21, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2014. Lundgren chose Uekrongtham after being impressed with his film, ''Beautiful Boxer''.Bunnag, Tatat
"Uekrongtham/Jaa/Jade Interview"
''www.student-weekly.com'', published 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015. He contacted him through a mutual friend in Los Angeles, and in mid-2013, they arranged to meet in the city. While he had previously turned down scripts offered to him for international markets, Uekrongtham found ''Skin Trade'' "riveting". He said the script " adthe potential to work as a character-driven piece while saying something about how we deal with scars, literal and otherwise". Jaa, on the other hand, met with Lundgren through his manager and film agent.Golden, Lee
"THE BIG LEAP: My Interview With Martial Arts Action Cinema Superstar TONY JAA"
''www.filmcombatsyndicate.blogspot.co.uk'', published September 23, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2015. He couldn't speak any English when cast, but claimed to have taken "intensive" lessons in preparation for his role; stating he is now "reasonably fluent" in "conversational" English.Friel, Eoin
"Tony Jaa Interview"
, ''www.theactionelite.com'', published March 19, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2015.

Tasya Teles was cast as Rosa Cassidy on Christmas Day, 2013. She was heading to Thailand for a holiday "after a year of hard work", and her agent phoned to tell her about the "perfect role"; even insisting on her having a "quick look" at the script. Once Teles realized ''Skin Trade'' was about human trafficking, she was "instantly hooked".Golden, Lee

''www.filmcombatsyndicate.blogspot.co.uk'', published May 15, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.

On February 7, 2014, SC Films announced the casting of Michael Jai White, Ron Perlman, Peter Weller, Celina Jade, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.Movie News Desk
"Dolph Lundgren, Ron Perlman, Peter Weller Join Cast of ''Skin Trade''"
''www.broadwayworld.com'', published February 7, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2015. The film's co-producer, Craig Baumgarten, was White's and Weller's manager;Golden, Lee

''www.filmcombatsyndicate.blogspot.co.uk'', published May 29, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2015.Barta, Preston
"Interview: Peter Weller On Starring in Dolph Lundgren's ''Skin Trade'', Legacy & Upcoming Projects"
''www.freshfiction.tv'', published May 13, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015. he secured them both roles in the film. Weller was the original choice to play Viktor Dragovic, but due to scheduling issues, the role went to Perlman instead. Furthermore, Lundgren considered having White to co-star;Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy
"Michael Jai White on martial arts, heavy makeup, and starting out with Troma"
''www.avclub.com'', published May 13, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015. White only accepted the role of FBI agent Reed after finding the script "appealing".Morales, Wilson
"Michael Jai White talks ''Skin Trade''
''www.blackfilm.com'', published January 5, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015.

Filming

Filming began on February 2, 2014, in Thailand.Tartaglione, Nancy
"Global Showbiz Briefs: Revenge Thriller ''Skin Trade'' Sets Cast; BBC Films Options Novel 'That Part Was True'"
''Deadline Hollywood'', published March 2, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014. ''Skin Trade'' was shot over 50 days: 43 filming in Thailand, and four filming in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In Thailand, filming locations included: Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Min Buri District, the Siam Kempinski Hotel, a rice mill, a leather-bleaching factory, and a century-old mansion. Filming was briefly disrupted by public protests relating to the Thai political crisis. To avoid any further interference, the cast and crew had to travel early to get through the traffic and to the set on time. Most of the film was shot on location, but some scenes were filmed at Baanrig Studios. ''Skin Trade'' was the first film to be shot in English by an organization based in Asia (outside of Hong Kong) for an international theatrical release.

Uekrongtham arranged "a few lunches and dinners" between Lundgren and his on-screen family (Tasya Teles and Chloe Babcook), so they could bond "on a personal level" before filming scenes together.Shamon, Danny
"Actress Tasya Teles interview (Exclusive!) (C) 2015 Dan's Movie Report"
''www.dansmoviereport.blogspot.co.uk'', published July 5, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015. Babcook spent a week and a half filming her scenes in Bangkok, followed by a few days of filming in Vancouver."Video Interview with Chloe Babcook by The Permanent Rain Press"
''www.thepermanentrainpress.com'', published August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 30, 2015.

The "heavily choreographed" fight scene between Lundgren and Jaa was planned over "a month or two". It was rehearsed for two weeks and took a further week to film. Due to Lundgren's role as co-producer, the cast had a lot of freedom to improvise their scenes. Jaa filmed his fight scenes without using wirework or CGI. He felt this would give his character "more depth" and allow him to better display his acting abilities.Kenber, Ben
"Exclusive Video Interview: Dolph Lundgren And Tony Jaa Talk Skin Trade"
''www.wegotthiscovered.com'', published May 8, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jaa also performed all of his own stunts. Lundgren stated he was "very impressed" by Jaa's acting and fighting abilities. In his opinion, the majority of people wouldn't be able to perform Jaa's stunts without using wirework.

According to White, his fight scenes with Jaa were in "large part" choreographed ten minutes before filming.Edwards, Matt
"Michael Jai White interview: Falcon Rising, Black Dynamite"
''www.denofgeek.com'', published May 19, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015. On the contrary, Jaa described it as something they were practicing "right up until the shoot". He recalled that while they were rehearsing the sequences and moves together "quite extensively" for a "number of days", they didn't rehearse them on the film set.Samo, R.C
"Tony Jaa talks about the 'Skin Trade'"
''www.thefanboynation.com'', published May 5, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2015. The fight was filmed in three takes.Topel, Fred
"Skin Trade Exclusive: Michael Jai White on Fighting Tony Jaa, Blood and Bone 2 & Never Back Down 3"
, ''www.nukethefridge.com'', published April 5, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.

Effects

Explosions were shot at Baanrig Studios, by the special effects team that had worked on '' The Expendables''.

Post-production

According to Lundgren, the fact that "a lot of" editors worked on the film resulted in him not having "all the control ewanted" over the final product. As co-producer of the film, Lundgren had assumed he would have been more involved in the editing process.

Music

Soundtrack

All of the music was written and composed by Jacob Groth."Skin Trade (Jacob Groth)"
''www.moviescoremedia.com''. Retrieved December 8, 2015. The song "Unzip Me" by Belle Rev was played in the film, but not included in the soundtrack.
''www.songonlyrics.net''. Retrieved December 8, 2015.

Release

Theatrical

The worldwide premiere was held at California's American Film Market on November 7, 2014,"Dolph Lundgren release dates"
''www.dolph-ultimate.com''. Retrieved May 8, 2015. while the Thailand premiere was held in Bangkok at the Siam Paragon on April 23, 2015. Jaa, Tony
"Tony Jaa on the Thailand Gala Premiere of 'Skin Trade'"
''Twitter'', published July 23, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2015. This was followed by theatrical releases in the United Arab Emirates (on April 9, 2015), Malaysia (on April 30), and the United States (on May 8).

On May 21, 2015, the film was screened at a fundraising event for CAST (The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking), a charitable organization based in Los Angeles that helps to rescue and reintegrate victims of human trafficking back into society.Trunick, Austin
"Dolph Lundgren Discusses His Latest Film, "Skin Trade": The Action Star On His New Movie and His Efforts to Help Fight Human Trafficking"
''undertheradarmag.com'', published August 5, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015."CAST: Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking"
, ''www.castla.org''. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Lundgren, who was looking for ways to "help out", started volunteering for CAST during the film's development stage.

Marketing

A teaser poster was released in 2013,Rigney, Todd
"Dolph Lundgren and Tony Jaa's ''Skin Trade'' Gets an Early Poster"
, ''www.beyondhollywood.com'', published September 16, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2014. followed by a teaser trailer on March 26, 2014.Brown, Todd

, ''Twitch Film'', published March 26, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014. On April 7 of the same year, Lundgren promoted ''Skin Trade'' on CNN. He appeared live in the studio and discussed the film with news anchor Richard Quest. Quest, Richard
"Dolph Lundgren discusses ''Skin Trade'' with CNN live"
''CNN News'', published July 4, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2015. At the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, Hyde Park International presented potential buyers with nine minutes of footage.Kay, Jeremy
"HPI brings ''Skin Trade'' to Cannes"
'' Screen Daily'', published May 7, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2014. Magnolia Pictures acquired the U.S. distribution rights on February 20, 2015, and announced they were releasing the film through their subsidiary label, Magnet Releasing.Keahon, Jena
"Exclusive: Magnet Releasing Acquires Action Thriller 'Skin Trade'"
''Indiewire'', published February 20, 2015. Retrieved on March 17, 2015. The film's official trailer was released on March 12, 2015.Brown, Todd
"Jaa. Lundgren. SKIN TRADE American Trailer"
, ''www.twitchfilm.com'', published December 3, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.

Home media

''Skin Trade'' was released through Video-on-Demand on April 23, 2015.Koray
"Tony Jaa, Dolph Lundgren Team Up For SKIN TRADE"
''www.shoalinchamber36.com'', published April 15, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015. On August 25, Magnet Releasing distributed the film on Blu-ray and DVD."'Skin Trade' DVD release"
''www.dvdreleasedates.com''. Retrieved August 20, 2015."August 2015 DVD Releases"
''www.movieinsider.com''. Retrieved August 20, 2015. In the United States, the film was given an R rating by the Motion Picture Association of America, while in the United Kingdom, it was issued a 15 rating by the British Board of Film Classification."'Skin Trade' UK rating"
''BBFC''. Retrieved December 10, 2015. As of April 21, 2017, ''Skin Trade'' has grossed $1.94 million in domestic home video sales."Skin Trade"
'' The Numbers''. Retrieved April 21, 2017.

Reception

Box office

The film debuted in the United Arab Emirates on April 9, 2015. It peaked in fifth place at the box office, and made $79,286 from 19 screenings ($4,173 per theater). No information is available for the film's Thailand debut, but it peaked in fifth place during the second week, and grossed $137,643 from 40 screenings ($3,441 per theater). By the end of the third week, the film dropped to eleventh place at the Thai box office, making a further $3,686 (bringing the entire gross to $141,329 in Thailand).''Skin Trade'' Thailand gross
''Box Office Mojo''. Retrieved May 14, 2015. For its debut in Malaysia, ''Skin Trade'' came in sixth place, and made $98,559 from 42 screenings ($3,861 per theater). By the end of the second week, it dropped two places at the box office, making a further $32,917 from 39 screenings (bringing the entire gross to $162,163 in Malaysia).''Skin Trade'' Malaysia gross
''Box Office Mojo''. Retrieved May 14, 2015. ''Skin Trade'' grossed a total of $382,784 at the foreign box office.''Skin Trade'' limited release gross
''Box Office Mojo''. Retrieved May 14, 2015.

The film debuted in the United States on May 8, 2015, making $162 (from one theater showing) during its opening weekend. It remained in the one theater for a second week, grossing a further $510. By the end of its third and final week of release in the US, ''Skin Trade'' grossed a total of $1,242 at the domestic box office,''Skin Trade'' domestic release gross
''Box Office Mojo''. Retrieved May 14, 2015. bringing the film's entire theatrical gross to $384,026.

Critical response

''Skin Trade'' received mostly negative reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reports that 25 percent of critics gave a positive review, the "average" rating being 4.8 out of 10."'Skin Trade' reviews"
''Rotten Tomatoes''. Retrieved May 13, 2015. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 39 out of 100, also indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.'Skin Trade' reviews
''Metacritic''. Retrieved March 8, 2015.

Martin Tsai, of the LA Times, described the film as a "movie where cops self-righteously act as judge, jury and executioner", without considering any protocols or procedures. He also said the film barely touches upon human trafficking.Tsai, Martin
"'Skin Trade' turns serious issue into bare-knuckle brawl"
''LA Times'', published July 5, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015. Nick Schager, of Variety, came to a similar conclusion, calling the issue of human trafficking (within the film) a "window dressing" for standard "revenge-driven" action. Schager also criticized Jaa's lack of fluency in English.Schager, Nick
"'Skin Trade' Review: Dolph Lundgren and Tony Jaa star in this tedious, formulaic actioner."
''Variety'', published August 5, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015. Other critics have had similar feelings; Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, of A.V. Club, called it one of the film's "biggest drawbacks".Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy
"Dolph Lundgren and Tony Jaa take on sex traffickers in Skin Trade"
'' A.V. Club'', published May 7, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.

Chuck Bowen, of Slant Magazine, heavily criticized the film; he awarded zero out of four stars. He said ''Skin Trade'' "fails" to satisfy even the "qualified expectations" that someone brings to a "low-rent Dolph Lundgren ass-kicker". Bowen went on to say there is "no beauty to this film, little rhythm", and none of the "physical grace" that action-film fans "crave".Bowen, Chuck
"'Skin Trade' Interview"
''Slant Magazine'', published March 5, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2015.

Frank Scheck, of The Hollywood Reporter, rated the film as poor, saying the film is "more suitable for late night cable viewing" than a theatrical release. He went on to criticize Uekrongtham's directing, saying that " ekrongthamclearly ..paid more attention to the casting than the onscreen mechanics. And for a film so seemingly interested in educating audiences about the evils of sex trafficking", Scheck pointed out, Uekrongtham had no problem with "including copious doses of female nudity".Scheck, Frank
"'Skin Trade' film review"
''The Hollywood Reporter'', published May 6, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.

Scott Tobias, of The Dissolve, rated the film two and a half out of five. Calling the film a "throwback to the one-man-army" action films of the 1980s, he said, " the film happens to raise awareness f human trafficking, then it's more of a "bonus than nobjective". Tobias expressed dislike for the film's "needlessly complicated setup", which — according to him — "posits ''Skin Trade'' as the splashy global production that it learlyis not".Tobias, Scott
"''Skin Trade'' (Movie Review)"
''The Dissolve'', published May 6, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2015.

Simon Abrams, of Rogerebert.com, gave the film a positive review; he awarded three out of four stars, and praised the film's choreography and fight scenes. He said that "while time hasn't been kind to the best ass-kicking knuckle-draggers, ''Skin Trade'' is energetic, and winsome." In his opinion, the movie hails from a "decadent period of action cinema ..when every renegade cop had a private vendetta, a pet charity/social concern, and a few lousy quips in his back pocket." He summed up his review by saying: " u can teach a new dog old tricks, though why you would want to is anyone's guess."Abrams, Simon
'Skin Trade' review
'' www.rogerebert.com'', published August 5, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2015. The Action Elite's Eoin Friel also enjoyed the film; he awarded four out of five stars, and praised the choreography, stunts and fight scenes. Unlike Schager or Vishnevetsky, Friel had no issues with Jaa's fluency in English, and even felt he "handled English pretty well".Friel, Eoin
"Skin Trade (2015) Review"
''The Action Elite'', published April 8, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2015.

Potential sequel

Teles said she would be open to returning for a sequel;The Night Rider

, ''www.manlymovie.net'', published May 16, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015. she feels the film was "set ..up very nicely for" one, and claims " erybody's wondering" if there will be a follow-up.Leyland, Nick
"Tasya Teles talks 'Skin Trade' and playing Echo on 'The 100'"
, ''www.themovienetwork.com'', published May 27, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015. On the possibility of a sequel, Lundgren said: "I didn't consider 'Skin Trade''as a franchise, but when I was over there n Thailand I started thinking, 'How would I do this different? How would I stay close to the subject matter?' Organ trafficking is quite big as well, so I thought that could be interesting. We could follow up with some kind of other trade."Cairns, Bryan
"Dolph Lundgren Talks Gunning For Human Traffickers In 'Skin Trade'"
''www.spinoff.comicbookresources.com'', published August 5, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.

Notes

References

External links

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''Skin Trade''
at Magnolia Pictures

''Skin Trade''
at Metacritic

''Skin Trade''
at The Numbers
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{{Dolph Lundgren

2014 films
American action thriller films
American films about revenge
Films about human trafficking
Films about slavery
Films set in Bangkok
Films set in Cambodia
Films set in New Jersey
Films shot in Vancouver
Films shot in Thailand
American rape and revenge films
American vigilante films
Films about the Serbian Mafia
Thai multilingual films
English-language Thai films
American multilingual films
2014 action thriller films
2010s American films
2010s vigilante films
Films with screenplays by Dolph Lundgren