While video game movies haven’t had the most laudatory reputation, there’s been a noticeable paradigm shift in recent years with the likes of “Mortal Kombat: Legacy”, “Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist”, “Assassin’s Creed”, and “Tomb Raider”, to signal that the sub-genre might finally be climbing out of the gutter. When it comes to action films derived from fighting games, the forthcoming adaptation of 2012’s “Sleeping Dogs” is sure to be one fans are rooting to continue to break the video game movie curse, a goal whose odds are in its favour with the involvement of Donnie Yen!
In a recent interview with South Morning China Post, Donnie gave an update on the project while promoting the soon-to-be-released “Big Brother” and his role in Disney’s live-action remake of the 1998’s “Mulan”:
“Sleeping Dogs will enter production next year; I’ve finally found my screenwriter. It’s a very ambitious project.”
Released on video game consoles in August, 2012 by United Front Games and Square Enix, the premise of “Sleeping Dogs” could’ve come right out of “In the Line of Duty IV” or any number of Donnie’s early roles. The game follows Hong Kong cop Wei Shen, who is tasked with infiltrating the Sun On Yee Triad gang. The open-world setting of the game makes extensive use of the urban jungle that is Hong Kong, and is packed to the gills with martial arts and parkour action right out of the very 80’s Hong Kong action films it homages. The title proved a major success, with over 1.5 million copies sold that year.
The film was first announced in March 2017, with Neal H. Moritz, long-standing producer of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, executive producing, and Donnie on-board in the role of Wei Shen. While no other casting announcements have been made for the film, given that the game utilized the voice talents of such Asian stars as Will Yun Lee, Byron Mann, Lucy Liu, Celina Jade, Tzi Ma, and Robin Shou, it’s a safe bet that Donnie will be in good company when “Sleeping Dogs” arrives at a theater near you.
Stay tuned for more info on “Sleeping Dogs” as it rises up to growl. In the meantime – looking forward to seeing “Sleeping Dogs”, what are your thoughts on the game? What other Asian stars would you like to see join Donnie in the film? Let us know in the comments below; Like, share and join in the conversation with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram. (Meantime, feel free to bark about KFK’s extensive FU-news section, as well!)
