After almost two years since it was announced, Sleeping Dogs director Timo Tjahjanto has explained why the Simu Liu-led game adaptation is still bubbling away under the surface.
"Trust me when I say Simu & I are doing our best to slowly make this come into fruition," Tjahjanto began on Twitter. "Trying to stay as loyal to WeiShen’s tale while adding layers to make the narrative more fitting into a feature film is not an easy task. We’re taking our time to make the best version of [Sleeping Dogs] the movie."
Sleeping Dogs, an adaptation of the Square Enix cult open-world classic, has been Simu Liu's pet project for well over a year now.
Liu, set to return as Shang-Chi in Avengers: Doomsday, first announced Sleeping Dogs was in development in February 2025.
A few months later, Liu admitted frustrations with studios not understanding the importance of the IP.
But in December last year, a major breakthrough: Liu announced that Tjahjanto – who has recently helmed Nobody 2 – would be behind the camera.
From there, Liu admitted he hoped a game sequel would come off the back of a film project. On the movie, he promised earlier this year, "Hope to post some really positive updates soon. Stay tuned."
Released in 2012, Sleeping Dogs revolved around the tale of undercover cop Wei Shen as he embedded himself within a warring Triad group. The cast even featured the likes of Emma Stone, with the game itself receiving high praise – and lasting love among fans – for its hard-hitting combat and compelling story.
Sleeping Dogs isn't the only game in town. For more, here are the other upcoming video game movies aiming to make the leap from consoles to cinemas.
