Great news for fans of the gritty open-world game Sleeping Dogs: the first draft of its movie adaptation script is officially “done!”
This exciting update comes directly from Marvel’s Simu Liu, who is not only producing the film but also set to star as the protagonist, Wei Shen. Liu shared the milestone over the weekend, celebrating with a photo of his own ‘sleeping dog’ (a clever nod to the game). While he carefully redacted some specific details from the script screenshot, the confirmation itself is a huge step forward for a project that has been stuck in development for years.
When a fan inquired if Liu had sorted things out with Square Enix, the game’s publisher and IP holder, Liu responded with an intriguing insight: “They’re absolutely great, it’s the studios that don’t seem to understand how important this IP is BUT we will get them there.” This suggests that while the creative team is aligned, there’s still work to be done to fully sell the vision to the big Hollywood players.
Despite the ongoing challenges, the completion of a script draft is a significant breakthrough, especially given the adaptation has been in development limbo for at least eight years. Story Kitchen, known for its work on successful video game adaptations like the Sonic the Hedgehog films and Netflix’s animated Tomb Raider series, is spearheading the live-action feature. Their experience bodes well for bringing the unique world of Sleeping Dogs to life.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first attempt to adapt the game. An original adaptation was announced in 2017 with Donnie Yen slated to star. However, the project faded from view a year later, with Yen confirming its cancellation earlier this year. He revealed he had invested personal time and money into securing early drafts and rights. Just weeks after Yen’s statement, Simu Liu took to social media, announcing his own efforts to collaborate with rights holders to resurrect the beloved video game for cinemas.
For those unfamiliar, Sleeping Dogs launched in 2012 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. It immersed players in the shoes of detective Wei Shen, an undercover cop infiltrating Hong Kong’s dangerous Triad crime syndicates. Despite not meeting Square Enix’s initial sales targets, the game garnered a passionate cult following. Many fans have held onto hopes for a sequel, especially after its original developer, United Front Games, unfortunately closed its doors in 2016 following the cancellation of a planned sequel in late 2013. IGN’s review of the Definitive Edition praised it, stating: “Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition doesn’t mess much with what made the original game so great. And that’s a good thing,” awarding it an 8.5.
The journey of the Sleeping Dogs movie has been a long and winding one, but with Simu Liu’s dedication and a completed script, the Hong Kong underworld saga is finally taking a concrete step towards the big screen.