Home > News > The Sleeping Dogs Movie IS in Development and We’re Hearing Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu Is Set to Play Wei Shen

The Sleeping Dogs Movie IS in Development and We’re Hearing Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu Is Set to Play Wei Shen

Author : Jack

Apr 02,2025

This week, Marvel Cinematic Universe star Simu Liu sparked excitement among fans of the beloved video game Sleeping Dogs by tweeting about his efforts to bring the game to the big screen. However, it appears the project is further along than initially suggested. A source close to the development has confirmed to IGN that a Sleeping Dogs movie is indeed in the works, with Liu not only producing but also set to star as the lead character, Wei Shen. IGN has reached out to Square Enix for further comment on this development.

Originally released in 2012 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, Sleeping Dogs follows the story of detective Wei Shen as he infiltrates a notorious Triad crime syndicate in Hong Kong. Despite not meeting Square Enix's sales expectations, the game has garnered a dedicated fanbase and has been the subject of sequel speculation ever since.

Sleeping Dogs is set for a wake-up call with a movie adaptation. Image credit: Square Enix.

The journey to bring Sleeping Dogs to the screen has been fraught with challenges. An initial adaptation was announced in 2017, with Donnie Yen slated to star, but the project vanished a year later. Yen recently confirmed to Polygon that the film had been scrapped, expressing his disappointment and the significant personal investment he had made in the project.

Liu's tweet initially caused confusion among fans, but he clarified his intentions in a follow-up statement, expressing his determination to see the Sleeping Dogs movie come to fruition and even hinting at his ambition to help develop a sequel game.

“So few film projects make it from pitch phase to greenlight,” he said. “Pitching execs who don’t understand the game has been tiring. Everyone’s overwhelming love of Sleeping Dogs here has really given us life!

“First a movie, then a sequel game for everyone… that’s always been the dream.”

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11 ImagesIGN can reveal that Story Kitchen is spearheading the Sleeping Dogs live-action feature film project, with Square Enix as the rights holder. Story Kitchen has a proven track record in video game adaptations, having contributed to projects like the Sonic the Hedgehog films and Netflix’s animated Tomb Raider series. They are also currently involved in the upcoming Streets of Rage adaptation and an adaptation of It Takes Two for Amazon.

Last year, Story Kitchen announced a film adaptation of Square Enix's Just Cause, with Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto attached. IGN understands that the Sleeping Dogs project has a writer and a major filmmaker on board, though no release date or production start date has been announced yet.

The movie represents a significant revival for Sleeping Dogs, which saw its planned video game sequel canceled in late 2013 before production could begin, and its original developer, United Front Games, shut down three years later. Now, more than a decade later, Sleeping Dogs may finally be poised for a cinematic awakening.