SKIN TRADE (Ekachai Uekrongtham, 2014)

[guns]

I hope Dolph with Randy Couture.

[dolphage]

a WW1 story suits his style as seen from the flashbacks in Icarus, Dolph could pull that off really well.

Problem: I don't see much room there for martial arts.

Haha.

Well there normally aren't any realistic reasons for him to take his shirt off and prance around half naked, in his other films, but he always fits that into the movie anyway, so I'm sure they can work it out!

[Nathan]

I can't believe we've waited this long for SkinTrade, was really looking forward to seeing what Dolph came up with for this and I hope it manages to shoot late this year. His directorial efforts, no matter how small the budget, you are always guaranteed little glimmers of ingenuity. This, Nordic Light, the Brazillian fighting drama and Wanted Man all need to become reality.

[Jox]

As he mentioned on the Danish interview he's now trying to make it with John Hyams (!!!) who's polishing the script right now...

[bomaz]

That's a great new

[dolphage]

As he mentioned on the danish interview he's now trying to make it with John Hyams (!!!) who's polishing the script right now...

That would be great! Hope that happens!

[Nathan]

As he mentioned on the Danish interview he's now trying to make it with John Hyams (!!!) who's polishing the script right now...

How the hell did I miss that! SkinTrade with Hyams? Dolph is a smart guy.

[Dida]

I also missed that one. Great news!

[leigh1975]

It makes SO much sense for Dolph to do business with Anchor Bay or Millennium and get Bruce in to play the American cop... we all know he has done these smaller independent/limited release/DTV films recently (Catch .44, Setup, Fire With Fire, (Cold Light Of Day), so surely it would be at least a moderate moneyspinner?

[Nathan]

I understand that it is more difficult than ever for Dolph to get decent financing for this right now and he is probably a bit disillusioned with directing at the moment, but I really want to see SkinTrade going into production in the next year or so. Films that Dolph has more of a hand in seem to have more stylistic qualities. That said, with signing up for Rescue 3, it's kinda thrown this one into doubt and jeopardy again. Damn.

[Jox]

It's not about financing for this one and it's not in doubt or jeopardy, John Hyams was polishing the script as of recently and RESCUE 3 is gonna be done shooting at the end of summer. What it needs is both a signed lead actor and a signed director (Hyams will consider then depending on his schedule), plus Dolph's dedication and time (and open schedule). ST sounds too much like a TAKEN rip-off although the script probably evolved a lot by now (five years and at least four writers later).

Of all his own projects he has in development, I think the one he should definitely do that is not a cliché is NORDIC LIGHT, which is both a personal and ambitious piece with scope and originality. That's the one he keeps himself for to get back in the director's chair but I don't he should wait to get into it or he might never do, and that's one he should have inspiration for.

[Tom]

I would say a big problem for Skin Trade is the leading man. I don't think anyone of a certain level will be interested. Statham would attract a certain level of interest and probably, at least if they film soon, gaurantee a theatrical release. I don't think he'd do it. Others on that sort of level probably wouldn't either.

Then that leaves you with guys like Stone Cold, Cuba Jr etc. The sort Dolph is co-starring with now. I don't think they're big enough for D's ambitions, and I'm not sure a studio would really want to greenlight the picture, and allow the control D and Hyams would want.

There's kind of no middle ground either. There's really no point for example, doing this with Nu Image or the like, if they're gonna simplify the script, set too rigid a schedule. It'll be too generic. As Jox says, the idea is very formulaic. If Hyams and Dolph can inject a bit of character, edge into it, it could be a good answer to Taken. But Studio's just don't care. They'll make it as cheap and generic as possible. Hyams may be able to inject something into it. Kaufman did a solid job in OITC, but the film had nothing new at all besides Dolph's show stopping role.

[Jox]

The project is far from being forgotten, news should be announced soon, things are also moving for another of D's dear projects...

[Nathan]

Thank goodness, I feared it would be cancelled. You know what this is going to be like, it's going to be like water pouring down your throat after a drought, all those well directed scenes flowing one after the other instead of disasterous turds like ITNOTK2, with that one I almost died of thirst.

[savagesketch]

Good. Let's hope it's solid news. I've gotten a little tired of these quick, "shoot two days, and then collect a paycheck" jobs.