Video game adaptations aren’t as risky as they were a decade ago. Some of the most high-profile movies at the time — Assassin’s Creed, Warcraft, and Tomb Raider — struggled critically or commercially, or both. More recently, hits such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Uncharted have certainly turned things around for video game adaptations, at least at the box office. Meanwhile, HBO‘s The Last of Us has single-handedly upped the prestige of video game adaptations over two successful seasons on television. This new wave of success has revived fan interest in a handful of popular video game properties, including Red Dead Redemption and Watch Dogs, whose movie adaptations have long been rumored. Another popular title from the 2010s even had a star attached, but with no firm updates for quite some time, fans were beginning to wonder what the project’s status was.

Now, the star in question — Simu Liu — has shared an official status update. Responding to a fan’s question about the project on X, Liu wrote, “Okay, here it is. We’re moving along really well. We have a director, and a production company, and a REAL path forward. We’re just in the dealmaking process with the game studio right now (which is a total fan moment for me because I love Square Enix). Your support is fueling us all!” His replies were filled with fans voicing their excitement for the movie, with the OP going so far as to say that it has “the potential to be the greatest video game adaptation ever if done right.”

Donnie Yen Was Attached to the Project Before Simu Liu

We’re talking about the long-gestating Sleeping Dogs adaptation. The game was released in 2012 and was presented as an alternative to the wildly popular Grand Theft Auto series. The game — a combination of Infernal Affairs‘ narrative and the action of the John Wick series — follows a police officer who goes undercover and infiltrates a Triad crime organization. The story unfolds in contemporary Hong Kong, an open-world environment players can explore. The project had Donnie Yen attached to star for several years, but he announced in 2025 that he had backed out.

Subsequently, Liu became attached to star, with Timo Tjahjanto being roped in as the director. “We are both hungry and passionate about the material and have plenty to prove,” the director wrote on social media some time ago. Liu will reprise his role as Shang-Chi in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, after having debuted as the character in the critically acclaimed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Meanwhile, Yen is working on his Hong Kong-set John Wick spin-off movie, Caine.

via Collider