The film adaptation of the acclaimed video game Sleeping Dogs, which was officially canceled earlier this month, may have a new lease on life thanks to Marvel star Simu Liu. As reported by Newsweek, Liu responded to a fan's plea on X/Twitter for a movie version of the 2012 game, stating that he is actively working to revive the project. "Working with the rights holders to bring Sleeping Dogs to the big screen," Liu shared, indicating his commitment to making the adaptation a reality.
Initially announced in 2017, the film was set to feature Donnie Yen in the starring role. However, the project vanished from the radar a year later and was recently confirmed to be scrapped by Yen himself. He expressed his disappointment, revealing the extensive effort and personal investment he had put into the project. "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 explained. "I waited for years. And I really wanted to do it. And unfortunately... I don't know. You know how Hollywood goes, right?"
With the project seemingly dead in the water, fans had lost hope for a continuation of the Hong Kong-set action franchise. However, Liu's response to a random social media post has reignited interest. While it remains uncertain whether Liu will successfully secure the rights or manage to get the film off the ground, his involvement has certainly sparked new hope among fans.
Sleeping Dogs was released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, and follows the gripping story of detective Wei Shen as he infiltrates one of Hong Kong's notorious Triad crime syndicates. The game was critically acclaimed, receiving an 8/10 from IGN, yet despite its success, no sequels were developed. The potential film adaptation continues to be a topic of great interest and anticipation among gaming enthusiasts and movie fans alike.
