Marvel Cinematic Universe star Simu Liu has shared an update about the movie adaptation of Sleeping Dogs, and it looks to be moving in a positive direction. Liu has been working on the project since first revealing in January 2025 his intent to bring Sleeping Dogs to the big screen, and his recent update has given fans new hope for the film to come to fruition.
First released for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in 2012, Sleeping Dogs is an open-world action game set in Hong Kong that finds undercover police officer Wei Shen fighting his way through the city to take out the Triads. Fans have been hoping for another game for years, but a potential Sleeping Dogs sequel was canceled by Square Enix. When Liu teased that he wanted to create a movie adaptation, fans of the series became hopeful for the project to move forward with a big name on board.
10 Best Open-World Games With Intense Combat, Ranked
These great open-world games engage players with their thrilling, intense combat that takes them across diverse landscapes to face formidable foes.
Simu Liu Teases Sleeping Dogs Script Draft
Simu Liu took to his Twitter account on October 18 to share some good news: the script draft for Sleeping Dogs has been completed. Fans rejoiced in his comments, with many of them sharing animations of their favorite scenes or fight sequences from the game. One Twitter user asked how things worked out with Square Enix, and Liu revealed that the studio has been great. Liu says the biggest hurdle has been getting the movie studios to understand the importance of the IP, but believes the project is moving in the right direction.
When Liu initially announced that Sleeping Dogs would be brought to theaters, it seemed that it was still at ground level with talks of rights to the IP still on the table. But Sleeping Dogs may have already been in development by the time Liu stated his intent. Reports state that entertainment company Story Kitchen would be leading the project, and that Liu himself would be playing the role of Wei Shen.
This is not the first go-around for a Sleeping Dogs movie. In 2017, actor, filmmaker, and martial artist Donnie Yen announced his movie adaptation of the game and intended to star as protagonist Shen. Unfortunately, Yen announced in early January 2025 that his Sleeping Dogs movie project was officially canceled. It was just a few weeks later that Liu had announced his intent to bring the game to the big screen.
Video game to movie and television adaptations have been growing over the years, with shows like The Last of Us releasing earlier this year and Fallout Season 2 being revealed at Gamescom in August. Other movies like Super Mario Bros. And Minecraft were popular for adults and kids alike. While Sleeping Dogs may be an older title that some casual gaming and movie fans may not recognize, having a Liu at the helm could bring life to this cult-classic game.
Sleeping Dogs
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 62%
- Released
- August 14, 2012
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- United Front Games
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
