It seems we’re actually getting close to a live-action adaptation of the Sleeping Dogs videogame as Marvel Star Simu Liu has recently shared a positive update regarding the future of the movie, stating the project has now entered a real path forward, as discussions are reportedly underway with publisher Square Enix. In a recent post on X/Twitter, The Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star has assured fans that the movie based on Sleeping Dogs is still very much in the works.
Responding to a fan who had asked for an update on the film, Liu wrote: “okay, here it is. we’re moving along really well, we have a director, and a production company, and a REAL path forward.”
He also announced the current status of the GTA-inspired crime drama where Liu is set to both produce and star as a live-action version of main character Wei Shen.
“we’re just in the dealmaking process with the game studio rn (which is a total fan moment for me bc i love SquareEnix). your support is fuelling us all!”
A film adaptation of Sleeping Dogs starring Donnie Yen was first announced back in 2017, but quickly faded around a year later with Yen himself confirming the film was scrapped eventually.
“I spent a lot of time and did a lot of work with these producers, and I even invested some of my own money into obtaining the drafts and some of the rights,” Yen had stated in an interview with Polygon.
The Sleeping Dogs movie will also be reportedly directed by Nobody 2 and Killers filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto with Video game adaptation veteran studio Story Kitchen onboard.
And according to their website, the seemingly official description of the movie is as follows: “Set in a vibrant, contemporary, neon-infused neo-noir Hong Kong, WEI SHEN is an undercover cop torn between his duty as an officer of the law and, separately, his loyalty to a family of violent Triads that he’s trying to infiltrate, many of whom he grew up with on the streets.”
