It may have been some time since fans saw Simu Liu donned the Ten Rings as Marvel’s Shang-Chi, but the actor has not been resting on his laurels. After the actor appeared in the acclaimed Greta Gerwig picture Barbie, Liu has turned his attention to the video game property Sleeping Dogs. The 2012 open world game follows undercover cop Wei Shen (Will Yun Lee) in present-day Hong Kong, where he endeavors to take down the Triad. Built around the brutal world of organized crime and the close relationships that tie them together, the series has been a respected IP since its release. When Discussing Film announced that Liu was trying to get the rights to make a film, the actor responded on X (formerly Twitter.)

For those not in the know, Liu’s response refers to the game mechanic where Wei Shen stops by a street vendor. The vendor yells out: “A man who never eats a pork bun is never a whole man.” This mechanic encourages the player to revitalize their health by eating at the stand. Liu’s tongue-in-cheek response confirms the actor’s intent to bring the action game to the big screen. Clearly in the early development phase, fans can only hope that Liu will take on the lead role since updates on Shang-Chi 2 have been pretty stagnant.

What Makes Adapting ‘Sleeping Dogs’ a Great Move for Simu Liu?

A man who never eats pork bun is never a whole man. https://t.co/sbtTSZIT43

— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) January 30, 2025

Simu Liu’s new initiative isn’t exactly surprising. Pop culture has entered a new era of video game adaptations. From The Last of Us to Fallout, creatives are setting their minds to making art out of fan-favorite worlds. Long gone are the days of the Resident Evil movies barely related to the source material. In fact, Barbarian director Zach Cregger has been tapped to adapt a game-accurate adaptation of the zombie franchise. Sleeping Dogs is next on the list that would make for a great live-action adaptation. The game is based on the gritty reality of organized crime, and its many elements made it a gem of 2012. Character and voice acting performances were on par with other action games, even having some big names attached like Lucy Liu and Emma Stone. Gamers also admired Sleeping Dogs for its melding of real-world lingo of the area. The game has a mix of English and Cantonese to make Hong Kong feel even more lived in.

Video game adaptations were once large gambles and never seemed to fully satisfy fans. Despite the outliers of the maligned Borderlands adaptation, these live-action features and television series have come a long way. The big indicator that these endeavors will do well is passion. Creatives who actively seek out these projects because of their love of the game almost always do well. Craig Mazin championed The Last of Us series, incorporating original creator Neil Druckmann. Jonathan Nolan loved Fallout and, despite the lack of a straightforward storyline, made the show its own. Liu’s clear appreciation for the source material is just the first step to hit the ground running. The fact that he is also well versed in martial arts doesn’t hurt either.

Details are sparse now, but fans can follow Collider for updates on the Sleeping Dogs adaptation.