Simu Liu provides a clear update that the Sleeping Dogs film is moving forward with real momentum, a director and production company in place, and discussions ongoing with Square Enix.

Square Enix remains a pivotal partner, with multiple other big titles in their pipeline, contextualizing the studio’s broader slate during the Sleeping Dogs adaptation process.

Timo Tjahjanto joined as director roughly two months after the screenplay milestone and is steering the project toward a finalized version.

There is currently no announced release date, as the project remains in development and negotiation stages.

With a production company, director, writer, and script in place, the major remaining step is securing Square Enix’s rights sign-off to advance.

The first screenplay draft was completed by October 2025, and since then discussions have focused on formalizing a deal with Square Enix to move toward production.

Dealmaking with Square Enix is the key remaining hurdle, with no release date announced as talks continue.

The project’s long road to production follows United Front Games’ 2016 closure and a previous 2017 version featuring Donnie Yen that was later abandoned, highlighting the project’s turbulent history.

The project has secured a director (Tjahjanto) and a production studio (Story Kitchen), marking a shift from speculative to actively developing phase.

Story Kitchen serves as a production backer, with Liu starring as Wei Shen and producing, building on the game’s neon-infused, neo-noir Hong Kong setting.

The film centers on Wei Shen, an undercover cop torn between duty and loyalty to a Triad family, as envisioned in Square Enix’s 2012 open-world game.

Liu remains deeply involved, producing and starring, with ongoing optimism about delivering a high-quality adaptation.