# Lucy Liu And Eloise Singer Expand The Pirate Queen With Tour And Graphic Novel > Lucy Liu and Eloise Singer are expanding The Pirate Queen franchise with an international tour, a graphic novel, and a new game, following Singer joining the BAFTA Breakthrough cohort. - Publisher: Briefzora (https://briefzora.com) - URL: https://briefzora.com/lucy-liu-and-eloise-singer-expand-the-pirate-queen-with-tour-and-graphic-novel - Published: 2026-11-04T06:09:16+05:00 - Author: Briefzora Desk (https://briefzora.com/author/briefzora-desk) - Section: Entertainment - Topics: BAFTA, Eloise Singer, Lucy Liu, The Pirate Queen - Image: https://briefzora.com/uploads/2026/11/lucy-lius-the-pirate-queen-expands-with-graphic-novel-new-game-and-j6fhng.webp ## Key points - Lucy Liu and Eloise Singer are taking 'The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters' on an international tour next year. - The co-creators have co-written a graphic novel and are developing a new game based on the franchise. - Eloise Singer was named to the 2026 BAFTA Breakthrough U.K. cohort in the games category. - The project follows an Emmy-nominated 2024 VR version and an appearance in the Cannes Film Festival's Immersive Competition. ## Why it matters The expansion brings the historical story of Chinese pirate leader Cheng Shih to new mediums, advancing the commercial viability of immersive storytelling. ## Article Lucy Liu and Eloise Singer are preparing to take "The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters," their immersive experience about Chinese pirate leader Cheng Shih, on an international tour next year, Singer tells Variety. The pair have also co-written a graphic novel and are developing a new game. The news comes as Singer, the project's writer and director, joins the 2026 BAFTA Breakthrough U.K. cohort. ## The True Story of Cheng Shih The franchise is built around a retelling of the stories about real life character Cheng Shih, who was a powerful female pirate in the South China Sea at the beginning of the 18th century. Liu says Cheng Shih was intelligent and strategically brilliant, and won respect through negotiation and leadership "in a world designed to exclude women entirely." In Liu's view, the pirate leader defies nearly every stereotype historically placed on Asian women in storytelling. "She was politically astute, ruthless when necessary, deeply strategic, and completely self-determined. Stories like hers remind us that history has always contained powerful, complex women - they were never centered in mainstream narratives," Liu tells *Variety*. "That's beginning to change, and I think audiences are hungry for stories that feel more expansive." ## Evolution of the Immersive Experience "No Safe Waters" played in the Cannes Film Festival's Immersive Competition this year, with Liu narrating and producing alongside Singer. It follows the original 2024 VR version of "The Pirate Queen," which earned an Emmy nomination. Where the first outing was built for a headset, the new piece fills a shared room with projection, sound and movement. Audiences stand among storms and fleets as dragons move beneath their feet. Liu does not appear on screen. She says voice carries a different kind of responsibility in immersive work, guiding atmosphere and movement at the same time. "In film, the camera captures a glance or physical gesture to communicate subtext, but here the voice can help create emotional architecture," she says. ## Collaboration and Creative Vision Singer has spent a decade on "The Pirate Queen," the last three years of it with Liu, and says the pair have co-written a graphic novel, are preparing the international tour and are developing a new game. "I feel really lucky to be making it with Lucy. She's thrown her heart and soul into this alongside me, and getting to build this world together has been one of the most special parts of the journey," she says. "I love seeing how one story can take on a whole new life across different formats, each offering audiences a completely different way to experience it." Liu says the project's ambition, and the importance of telling Cheng Shih's story with nuance and scale, is something she and Singer both care about deeply. "We're building 'The Pirate Queen' as a larger storyworld together, so it was never just about lending my voice to one experience," she says. "As a producer, I wanted to help support the integrity of the story and the larger creative vision. I'm always drawn to work that challenges convention and creates space for voices and histories that haven't been fully explored, and Cheng Shih's story deserves that kind of scale." ## BAFTA Breakthrough Recognition BAFTA named Singer to this year's Breakthrough program, its Netflix-supported initiative for emerging screen talent, on Nov. 4. She was selected in the games category for "No Safe Waters." "It's still a bit of a pinch-me moment. It's something I've aspired to for such a long time, so to be selected is a little surreal, and to have BAFTA and Netflix recognize what we've created with 'The Pirate Queen' is incredibly special," Singer tells *Variety*. "I'm especially proud that it's for an immersive project. We started with a story we really believed in and wanted to bring it to life in a completely different way, something audiences could truly step inside and experience." A friend who went through the program before her told her to make the most of every opportunity. "So that's what I intend to do! I'm really looking forward to meeting other filmmakers and finding ways to take over the world together," she says. ## The Future of Immersive Storytelling Singer says this year is the first time she has really felt a scalable and sustainable future for immersive storytelling. "I've been genuinely encouraged by the level of distribution interest around 'The Pirate Queen.' It feels like there is a real appetite for immersive work now," she says. Liu sees the form as both an extension of filmmaking and something new. "It grows from cinematic language but it also asks the audience to participate differently. That changes the relationship between story and viewer," she says. "We're still discovering the language of immersive storytelling which is what makes this moment so exciting creatively." Singer's background is in film and TV, and alongside new immersive work she is developing scripted projects. "I've always been drawn to stories about people who challenge expectations, whether they've been overlooked by history, underestimated by others, or simply refused to play by the rules," she says. "Ultimately, I want to keep telling stories I really believe in and finding the most exciting ways to bring them to life." ## Background on Immersive Entertainment and BAFTA Breakthrough Immersive entertainment encompasses virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality experiences that allow audiences to step directly into narrative environments. Projects like "The Pirate Queen" use projection mapping, spatial audio, and interactive elements to transform traditional viewing into participatory journeys. Festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival have increasingly embraced these technological mediums by creating dedicated immersive competitions to honor projects that push narrative boundaries beyond standard cinema screens. The BAFTA Breakthrough initiative, supported by Netflix, identifies and nurtures rising stars across film, games, and television. Selected creators receive global networking opportunities, mentoring, and support to advance their careers. Past participants include prominent actors, directors, writers, and game developers who have gone on to achieve international acclaim in the entertainment industry. ## Frequently asked questions ### Who is the main historical figure featured in The Pirate Queen? The franchise is built around Cheng Shih, a powerful female pirate who operated in the South China Sea at the beginning of the 18th century. ### What new formats are being developed for The Pirate Queen? The creators are preparing an international tour, a graphic novel, and a new game alongside the immersive room experience. --- When citing, please link to https://briefzora.com/lucy-liu-and-eloise-singer-expand-the-pirate-queen-with-tour-and-graphic-novel and name Briefzora as the source.