Simu Liu to Lead and Produce 'Sleeping Dogs' Film Adaptation

Marvel star Simu Liu has sparked excitement among Sleeping Dogs fans with a tweet announcing his collaboration with rights holders to adapt the beloved video game into a feature film.

A source close to the project revealed to IGN that the Sleeping Dogs movie is actively in development, with Simu Liu, known for his role as Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, producing and starring as the lead character, Wei Shen.

IGN has reached out to Square Enix for comment.

Released in 2012 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, Sleeping Dogs follows detective Wei Shen as he goes undercover to infiltrate a notorious Hong Kong Triad syndicate. Despite not meeting Square Enix's sales expectations, the game has garnered a dedicated fanbase eager for a sequel.

A previous adaptation was announced in 2017 with Donnie Yen slated to star, but the project was canceled a year later, with Yen confirming its termination recently.

“I invested significant time and even personal funds into securing drafts and rights,” Yen shared with Polygon.

“I waited years for this project. I had so many ideas, but Hollywood can be unpredictable. It was disappointing, but I’m moving forward.”

Liu’s tweet about reviving the Sleeping Dogs movie caused some confusion among fans. He later clarified his vision, expressing enthusiasm for both a film and a potential video game sequel.

“Getting a film from pitch to production is tough,” Liu said. “Convincing executives unfamiliar with the game has been exhausting, but the overwhelming fan support for Sleeping Dogs has been incredibly motivating!

“The goal is a movie first, then a sequel game for fans—that’s the dream.”

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IGN can confirm that Story Kitchen is spearheading the Sleeping Dogs live-action film, with Square Enix as the rights holder. Story Kitchen has a strong track record in video game adaptations, including the Sonic the Hedgehog films and Netflix’s Tomb Raider animated series. The studio is also developing adaptations of Streets of Rage and It Takes Two for Amazon.

Last year, Story Kitchen announced a Just Cause film adaptation with Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto attached. IGN understands the Sleeping Dogs project has a writer and a prominent filmmaker involved, though no release date or production start has been confirmed.

The film represents a major revival for Sleeping Dogs, which saw its planned video game sequel canceled in 2013 and its developer, United Front Games, shuttered in 2016. Now, over a decade later, the franchise is primed for a cinematic resurgence.