Over eight years ago, martial arts star Donnie Yen (John Wick 4, The Prosecutor) was announced as the lead of a film adaptation of Square Enix’s hit video game Sleeping Dogs. Since then, the project has been in a state of limbo. Earlier this year, Yen suggested he may have walked away for good, citing years of development, personal investment, and Hollywood inertia — before shrugging it off as “on to better things,” possibly referring to his upcoming John Wick spin-off, which he’ll both star in and direct.
Hope was reignited soon after when Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) revealed he was actively pitching Sleeping Dogs to studios, even expressing interest in bringing Yen back. “First a movie, then a sequel game — that’s always been the dream,” Liu wrote on X, joking that his third call would be to DoorDash for pork buns.
Then, speculation ramped up when social media exchanges between Liu and filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto (The Shadow Strays, Nobody 2) hinted at a collaboration. That chatter turned into confirmation when Liu, while promoting his Peacock series The Copenhagen Test, revealed to Forbes that Tjahjanto is officially set to direct.
Set in Hong Kong, Sleeping Dogs follows an undercover cop infiltrating the Triads, blending martial arts mayhem with car chases, boat pursuits, and gunplay. The game — and now the film — is deeply rooted in Hong Kong action cinema. Producer and Asian film expert Mike Leeder (Ultimate Justice), who worked on the game’s casting and live-action trailer (see below), which featured fight choreography work from the late martial artist Darren Shahlavi, helped cement that authenticity.
We’ll keep you updated as Sleeping Dogs continues to take shape. Until then, here’s a reminder of what Liu brings to the table in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings:
Sleeping Dogs live-action trailer:
That’s great and all, but we already have a Sleeping Dogs movie with Donnie Yen. Its called Special ID, lol!
‘Special ID’ isn’t a movie, it’s a steaming pile of trash. I’d rather have my testicles smashed then have the displeasure of ever having to watch it again.
Haha, cool story, bro! XD
Special ID was meant to topple Flashpoint and SPL, but failed 100000x. That movie is unwatchable!
The trailer was so freaking mindblowing and amazing!
no wonder why Vincent left the set because they kept freaking changing everything about the damn movie!!!
It might not be his best, but trash? Come on, it’s like a love letter to old school Hong Kong with all the neon and everything. How can’t you love it?
I agree with the above: Special I.D. is unequivocally bad.
That said, I do want to see this made and on the big screen, but not with Donnie as Wei Shen. If we’re going with known quantities, I’d like to see Max Zhang in the lead. Maybe Andy On. Maybe.
I’m one of the few people out there who enjoyed Special ID just as much as Flash Point. I liked how Donnie played an irresponsible smart-ass while decimating everyone in his way even when he was broken and battered. I just don’t get the hate for it.
I’d be happy with a Sleeping Dogs movie, but I hope Donnie is allowed to let loose.
I agreed with you. Last fight with Andy was excellent but just a bit too short. If Donnie just added another 2 minutes more to that fight scene and it would be classic like flashpoint.
Cheers. I guess 2 extra minutes wouldn’t be so bad. I think with Flash Point, it was an equal balance of kung fu and jiujitsu, but in Special ID, the ratio was tipped in favor of jiujitsu, and not a lot of people appreciated that.
Hopefully this film comes to fruition, I really like the game.
Disagree completely about Special ID,
Movie was good, fights were really good choreography and executed, the whole story yes was quite simple and etc. But this movie wasnt trash at all.
Donnie Yen’s recent trash was Enter the fat Dragon, i had really big hope for this one, but holy shit it was uber bad, exept maybe that big warehouse fight secuence but the rest was really bad in any possible way ( comedy was really bad…)
waiting!!!!!
I really hope this happens it’s been so long since announced!
Sleeping Dogs was a great game that not enough people played. Easily my favorite “open world crime” game, more interesting than any GTA, in my opinion. Sometimes I think about firing it back up and experiencing that recreation of Hong Kong once again.
Fingers crossed that the movie turns out good.
Simu Liu has the charisma of a cat that’s been stomped by Godzilla.
I don’t know why but he was much more beleivable as a douchebag in that john Cena/ Akwafine jackpot movie than he was as a superhero. I don’t know what it is.