Lucy Liu and Eloise Singer Expand 'The Pirate Queen' Into Graphic Novel and Game

Lucy Liu and Eloise Singer are expanding the 'The Pirate Queen' franchise to include a graphic novel, a new video game, and an international tour.

Singer, the writer and director, confirmed the plans to Variety, noting that the pair have co-written the book and are currently in development stages for the game. The expansion follows the recent success of the immersive experience, which has moved beyond its initial virtual reality format.

The project centers on Cheng Shih, a historical figure who led a fleet in the South China Sea at the start of the 18th century. The original 2024 VR version of the story earned an Emmy nomination. A new installment, titled 'No Safe Waters,' competed in the Immersive Competition at the Cannes Film Festival this year. For this latest version, the format shifts from a single headset to a shared physical space filled with projections, sound, and movement. Audiences stand within the environment, observing storms and fleets while visual elements move beneath their feet.

Liu serves as narrator and producer for the series. She states that Cheng Shih was a strategically brilliant leader who won respect through negotiation in a world that excluded women. Liu argues that the historical figure defies common stereotypes about Asian women in storytelling. "She was politically astute, ruthless when necessary, deeply strategic, and completely self-determined," Liu said. "Stories like hers remind us that history has always contained powerful, complex women, they were never centered in mainstream narratives."

Singer has spent ten years developing the project, working with Liu for the last three. She describes the collaboration as a special journey and expresses enthusiasm for seeing the story across different formats. "I feel really lucky to be making it with Lucy," Singer said. "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."

On November 4, BAFTA named Singer to the 2026 Breakthrough U.K. cohort. The program is supported by Netflix and focuses on emerging screen talent. Singer was selected in the games category specifically for her work on 'No Safe Waters.' She described the selection as surreal and noted that a friend who previously participated in the program advised her to make the most of every opportunity.

Singer says she is encouraged by the current interest in distributing immersive work. "I've been genuinely encouraged by the level of distribution interest around 'The Pirate Queen,'" she said. "It feels like there is a real appetite for immersive work now." Liu views the medium as an extension of filmmaking that changes the relationship between the story and the viewer. "We're still discovering the language of immersive storytelling which is what makes this moment so exciting creatively," Liu said.

The international tour is scheduled to begin next year. Singer, whose background is in film and television, continues to develop scripted projects alongside the immersive work. She states that she wants to keep telling stories about people who challenge expectations and find new ways to bring those narratives to life.