Simu Liu to Star as Wei Shen in Sleeping Dogs Movie

This week, Marvel Cinematic Universe star Simu Liu sparked excitement among fans of the video game Sleeping Dogs with a tweet announcing his collaboration with the rights holders to bring the beloved game to the big screen. However, the project is further along than many realized. 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 comments on this exciting development.

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 one of Hong Kong's notorious Triad crime syndicates. Despite not meeting the sales expectations set by its publisher, Square Enix, the game has garnered a dedicated fanbase and sparked ongoing hopes for a sequel.

An earlier attempt to adapt Sleeping Dogs into a film was announced in 2017, with Donnie Yen slated to star. Unfortunately, the project vanished the following year, and Yen recently confirmed its cancellation to Polygon, expressing his frustration and disappointment after years of investment and effort.

Liu's tweet initially caused some confusion among fans, but he clarified his intentions with a follow-up statement, revealing his ambition to not only bring a Sleeping Dogs movie to life but also to facilitate the creation of a sequel game. "So few film projects make it from pitch phase to greenlight," he noted. "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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IGN has learned 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. Currently, they are also working on adaptations for Streets of Rage and 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. For the Sleeping Dogs project, IGN understands that a writer and a major filmmaker are already attached, 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 even began, and its developer, United Front Games, shut down three years later. Now, over a decade since its initial release, Sleeping Dogs could finally be poised for a cinematic wake-up call.