Sleeping Dogs Movie Moves Forward as Simu Liu Confirms Director

The long-dormant Sleeping Dogs franchise may finally be waking up — this time on the big screen.

Actor Simu Liu has confirmed that a director is now attached to the long-in-development movie adaptation of the cult-favorite video game Sleeping Dogs, giving fans fresh hope that the project could actually happen.

Released in 2012, Sleeping Dogs earned critical praise for its gritty crime story, fluid martial-arts combat, and richly detailed Hong Kong setting. Despite strong reviews, the game struggled commercially, and plans for a sequel were quietly shelved. Over time, it became a cult classic — beloved by fans but largely forgotten by its publisher, Square Enix.

Liu, best known for Marvel’s Shang-Chi and Kim’s Convenience, has spent the past few years publicly pushing to revive Sleeping Dogs as a film. While promoting his upcoming show The Copenhagen Test, he revealed that Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto has officially signed on to direct the adaptation.

Tjahjanto has built a reputation for brutal, fast-paced action films, including The Night Comes for Us and the upcoming Nobody 2 starring Bob Odenkirk. His style — heavy on close-quarters combat and tightly choreographed fight scenes — lines up closely with what fans expect from a live-action Sleeping Dogs.

The director recently confirmed his enthusiasm for the project on social media, saying he and Liu are “hungry and passionate” about bringing the game to life. He also revealed that several of his past films took inspiration directly from Sleeping Dogs, even admitting that one character was essentially lifted straight from the game.

According to Liu, the project already has a completed script, a director, and a lead actor attached, with Liu set to both star and produce. The missing piece is a studio willing to officially greenlight the film. For now, no major Hollywood company has picked it up.

Even so, momentum appears stronger than ever. With a proven action director on board and a passionate star championing the material, Sleeping Dogs is closer than it’s ever been to getting the cinematic revival fans have wanted for more than a decade.

Whether the film ultimately moves forward remains to be seen — but one thing is clear: Simu Liu isn’t giving up without a fight.