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

This week, fans of the beloved video game Sleeping Dogs were thrilled by news from Marvel Cinematic Universe star Simu Liu. Liu, known for his role as Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, took to Twitter to announce his involvement in bringing the game to the big screen. However, it appears the project is more advanced than initially suggested.

According to a source close to the development, the 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 an official statement on the matter.

Originally released in 2012 across PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC platforms, Sleeping Dogs follows the gripping tale of detective Wei Shen as he goes undercover to infiltrate a notorious Triad crime syndicate in Hong Kong. Despite not meeting Square Enix's sales targets, the game has garnered a dedicated fanbase and sparked ongoing interest in a sequel.

Liu's announcement stirred some 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 revive the video game series with a sequel.

“So few film projects make it from pitch phase to greenlight,” Liu stated. “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 has learned that Story Kitchen is spearheading the Sleeping Dogs live-action feature film project, with Square Enix holding the rights. 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, directed by Ángel Manuel Soto of Blue Beetle fame. While the Sleeping Dogs project has a writer and a major filmmaker attached, details on a release date or the start of production remain undisclosed.

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