Simu Liu to Bring Martial Arts Skills to a Sleeping Dogs Movie

Simu Liu, the star of Marvel’s Shang-Chi, may be a ways off from his next project, but he’s already looking to bring his martial arts skills to a Sleeping Dogs movie. Recently, Liu made clear his desire to give the 2012 action-crime game a film adaptation that never manifested when it first came out.

Liu Teaming with Square Enix on a Film

According to IGN, Liu is reportedly teaming with Square Enix on a film, not only playing police detective Wei Shen but also coming on as a producer. At the time of writing, a director and writer aren’t attached, and it’s unclear how far along things are. However, if you’re someone who still carries a torch for the game and its would-be film, this is pretty exciting for you.

A Struggle to Make the Film Happen

Despite crime and action movies being consistently popular, Liu noted it’s been a bit of a struggle to make this happen in Hollywood. On January 31, he called it "tiring" to pitch the film to "execs who don’t understand the game." However, his overwhelming love for Sleeping Dogs has given him life, and he’s hopeful that the film will lead to another game getting made.

The Game: A Focus on Martial Arts

If you didn’t play Sleeping Dogs when it came out, think "GTA in Hong Kong." In the game developed by United Front and originally part of the True Crime series, players take on the role of Wei as he infiltrates the Sun On Yee triad to bring it down from within. The game’s big hook was a focus on martial arts over guns, and missions built around his loyalty to either the triads or the police.

A Sequel That Never Was

As for the movie, that was first announced back in 2017 with Donnie Yen set to play Wei. Yen revealed to Polygon back in January his own efforts to make it happen. Liu hasn’t forgotten that, and should things work out, he hopes to involve both Yen and Will Yun Lee, Wei’s voice actor in the game, involved in some capacity.

A Good Time to Play the Game

Regardless of whether the film happens or not, seems a good time as any to try and play Sleeping Dogs (which frequently goes on sale) in the next few years.

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