Summary
- Donnie Yen’s Sleeping Dogs adaptation fell through after years of investment and anticipation.
- The lack of updates since 2018 should have been a red flag that the project would not be salvaged.
- The industry continues to produce video game adaptations despite Sleeping Dogs’ setbacks.
While the new year has already given video game enthusiasts multiple new announcements about IPs being adapted for the screen or theater, one particular project that fans were looking forward to seeing on the big screen has been sunset.
Video game adaptations have always been a goldmine for fans’ speculation about what an adaptation could look like, as the medium can often be even more effective at getting players to care about a fictional character or cause due to its immersive aspect. While the first few live-action video game adaptations were famously bad and struggled to bring the iconic worlds of their source material convincingly to life, improvements in technology and increased incentives eventually gave video game films and TV shows a solid chance at life and leading to tons of new projects like Sleeping Dogs being announced. In recent years, things have intensified even further with Netflix, HBO, and Amazon Prime in a contest to dominate the genre amidst an even larger, more expansive upshot in adaptations over original content.
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One major upcoming adaptation that had fans excited was the aforementioned Sleeping Dogs, possibly the best open-world video game franchise that was prematurely discontinued due to Square Enix’s high sales expectations not being met. While fans have been looking forward to the IP seeing new life in another medium, things unfortunately won’t be playing out that way. In a recent interview reported on by Polygon, popular martial artist, actor and filmmaker Donnie Yen revealed that his previously announced Sleeping Dogs adaptation had unfortunately fallen through. “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 revealed. “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.”
Projects get canceled all the time, but after it was rumored that the Sleeping Dogs Movie would actually begin filming, the assumption from the bulk of those following the development was that it would find its way to theaters eventually. With the sheer amount of investment on the part of Yen and others, it’s even more of a tragedy that the project won’t make it to the audience. While Yen was able to move on from the experience (and that part of the interview) with a simple assertion that it would be on to better things for him, expectant fans of his planned work might not find it so easy to let go of the idea. Tons of arguably far less deserving video game adaptations have come and gone since the Sleeping Dogs project was first announced in 2017. The lack of tangible updates since 2018’s directorial talks should have been a red flag, but projects have emerged after longer stretches of inactivity before. Considering that in that time frame the genre has managed to reach a whole new level of feasibility compared to the 2010s, so seeing a project this long in the works fade away is extra painful.
While Sleeping Dogs won’t be finding its way to the big screen anytime soon, there’s no need for fans of video game adaptations to despair. In addition to all the great video game adaptations expected to be released in 2025, there will be even more new announcements made over the course of the year that could include all sorts of interesting games from a wealth of genres and developers. While there’s always the chance that Yen’s project could be picked up and salvaged in this new wave of production, the most likely scenario would be that the industry lets Sleeping Dogs lie.
A vibrant, neon city teaming with life, Hong Kong’s exotic locations and busy streets and markets hide one of the most powerful and dangerous criminal organizations in the world: the notorious Triads. Play as Wei Shen – the highly skilled undercover cop trying to take down the Triads from the inside out. You’ll have to prove yourself worthy as you fight your way up the organization, taking part in brutal criminal activities without blowing your cover.
Destroy your opponents in brutal hand-to-hand combat using an unmatched martial arts system. Dominate Hong Kong’s buzzing streets in thrilling illegal street races and tear it up in explosive firearms action. Sleeping Dogs’ Hong Kong is the ultimate playground.
Undercover, the rules are different.
- Released
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August 14, 2012
- Developer(s)
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United Front Games
- Engine
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Havok
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
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