The long-awaited film adaptation of Sleeping Dogs has officially added a director to its roster. Timo Tjahjanto, known for directing Nobody 2, will helm the project starring Simu Liu as lead character Wei Shen.

Simu Liu, who gained recognition for his role in Marvel’s Shang-Chi, confirmed the news on Twitter. The film already has a completed script, which was finished earlier this year.

ladies and gents, the director of sleeping dogs. https://t.co/lDyDf7UrmJ

— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) December 28, 2025

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Sleeping Dogs originally launched in 2012 as an open-world video game set in Hong Kong. Players controlled an undercover police officer navigating the criminal underworld using parkour and martial arts combat. While the game received positive reviews from critics, it struggled with sales and the series has remained dormant since.

Tjahjanto brings experience from the action genre to the project. The Indonesian filmmaker recently directed Nobody 2, the sequel to the 2021 Bob Odenkirk action film. He’s also signed on to direct The Beekeeper 2 with Jason Statham and a potential Hollywood version of Train to Busan 2.

The director has shown interest in Sleeping Dogs for some time. When Liu previously posted about the game’s stalled progress, Tjahjanto responded by pointing out that executives didn’t understand the property’s potential. When fans asked if he’d want to direct an adaptation, his response hinted at his interest.

The film doesn’t have a studio or release date yet. However, with a director, completed script, and Marvel star attached, the project appears to be moving forward. This isn’t the first attempt to bring Sleeping Dogs to theaters—action star Donnie Yen was previously connected to play Wei Shen, though that version never materialized.