Sleeping Dogs movie no longer in the works, because there's no Wei we can be allowed nice things

Our favourite not quite GTA with kickass martial arts is no longer coming to the big screen.

Dang it. Sleeping Dogs - a very good game about an undercover cop infitrating Hong Kong's triads by lying and backing that lying up by kicking half the population of the special administrative region right in the face - is no longer set to be getting a film adaptation starring Donnie Yen.

I know, fellow slumbering canines enjoyer, I'm sad too. We'll get over it, though, probably be re-installing the Definitive Edition and slapping the t*ts off of some hoodlums hiding away in an alleyway in Central - likely next to one of those nice blue lockboxes.

This now dead-in-the-water live-action film - first announced back in 2017 - would have seen Yen, known for his roles in Rogue One, John Wick: Chapter 4, and the Ip Man franchise, take on playing protagonist Wei Shen. The actor's now confirmed to Polygon that this seemingly isn't on the cards anymore.

"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," he said. “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."

Yen concluded by adding: "Well, on to better things."

Damn. Think about how good it could have been. Especially if Yen had brought the same swagger he had as Caine in that John Wick movie - a character that's already set to get his own spin-off film - to the role.

This is just the fate of us sleepy doggos fans, it would seem. No sequels, no movie, just endless journeys to kung fu the crap out of a certain crime boss known for his large grin.