Shang-Chi star Simu Liu says his dream is a Sleeping Dogs movie then a ‘sequel game’

Marvel star Simu Liu says it’s his dream to make a Sleeping Dogs movie happen, followed by a new Sleeping Dogs game.

Earlier this month, actor Donnie Yen said the film adaptation of Square Enix‘s 2012 crime game – which was first announced back in 2017 – had effectively been cancelled.

However, earlier this week Liu, who played the titular role of Shang-Chi in the Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, suggested on X that he was still trying to make it a reality.

After an X user asked Liu if he was playing Wei in a theoretical Sleeping Dogs film, Liu replied that he was “working with the rights holders to bring Sleeping Dogs to the big screen”.

Now Liu has explained his dream in more detail, posting on X that he wants to see a Sleeping Dogs film followed by a new game, but that it’s been a struggle trying to get the former approved.

“So few film projects make it from pitch phase to greenlight,” he wrote. “Pitching execs who don’t understand the game has been tiring. Everyone’s overwhelming love of Sleeping Dogs here has really given us life.

“First a movie, then a sequel game for everyone… that’s always been the dream.”

So few film projects make it from pitch phase to greenlight. Pitching execs who don’t understand the game has been tiring. Everyone’s overwhelming love of Sleeping Dogs here has really given us life!

First a movie, then a sequel game for everyone… that’s always been the dream. pic.twitter.com/g84r9Lf0SI

— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) January 31, 2025

In an interview with Polygon earlier this month, Donnie Yen said the Sleeping Dogs film announced eight years ago was essentially dead.

“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 said.

“I waited for years. Years. And I really want to do it. I have all these visions in my head, and unfortunately… I don’t know, you know how Hollywood goes, right? I spent many, many years on it. It was an unfortunate thing.”

While it’s not yet clear how advanced Liu’s discussions with rights holders are, and whether he’s making more progress than Yen did, Liu has said he wants to get Yen involved should he be successful.

“If we actually pull this off, my first call will be to Donnie,” he told a user on X. “Second call would be Will Yun Lee, the original voice of Wei [in the Sleeping Dogs game]. Third, to DoorDash to find me the nearest restaurant that serves pork bun.”

Liu also dismissed a suggestion that he should play Wei if another Sleeping Dogs game was ever to be made, saying he was “flattered, but the game version of Wei should always be the legendary Will Yun Lee.”