Lucy Liu frames this as a mission to reclaim history for powerful Asian women, emphasizing that Cheng Shih was strategically brilliant and defied every stereotype placed on women in storytelling.
Insiders are buzzing about the BAFTA Breakthrough selection. Singer called it a 'pinch-me moment' and is reportedly eager to network with other filmmakers to 'take over the world together,' signaling a serious push for immersive storytelling to go mainstream.
Eloise Singer was named to the 2026 BAFTA Breakthrough U.K. cohort on November 4. The original 'The Pirate Queen' VR experience earned an Emmy nomination in 2024, and the new iteration, 'No Safe Waters,' premiered in the Cannes Film Festival’s Immersive Competition this year.
Immersive tech is no longer a niche experiment; with Liu’s star power and Singer’s BAFTA validation, 'The Pirate Queen' is becoming a cultural juggernaut.
If you thought immersive storytelling was just a headset gimmick, Lucy Liu and Eloise Singer are about to prove you wrong. The duo behind "The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters" announced a massive expansion of the franchise, taking the story of Chinese pirate queen Cheng Shih from the screen to the streets. Speaking to Variety, Singer revealed that the project is heading on an international tour next year, alongside the development of a brand-new graphic novel and a dedicated video game.
This isn't just a side project; it’s a full-blown media empire being built around a historical figure who defied every stereotype of her era. The timing couldn't be better for the creative team. On November 4, BAFTA named Eloise Singer to its 2026 Breakthrough U.K. cohort, a Netflix-supported initiative that spotlights emerging talent.
Singer, who served as writer and director, was selected in the games category for her work on "No Safe Waters." "It’s still a bit of a pinch-me moment," Singer told Variety, admitting that recognition from BAFTA and Netflix for an immersive project feels "incredibly special." This validation marks a turning point, suggesting that the industry is finally ready to treat immersive experiences with the same seriousness as traditional film and TV.
For Liu, this project is deeply personal. She didn't just lend her voice; she produced and narrated the experience, which follows the 2024 VR version that earned an Emmy nomination. Liu described Cheng Shih as "politically astute, ruthless when necessary, deeply strategic, and completely self-determined," noting that the pirate leader won respect through negotiation in a world designed to exclude women.
"Stories like hers remind us that history has always contained powerful, complex women – they were never centered in mainstream narratives," Liu said. She emphasized that while she doesn't appear on screen, her voice provides the "emotional architecture" for the audience, guiding them through storms and fleets in a shared physical space. The expansion into different formats highlights a shift in how audiences consume narrative.
Singer noted that this is the first time she has felt a "scalable and sustainable future" for immersive storytelling, citing strong distribution interest. The new experience fills a room with projection, sound, and movement, allowing audiences to stand among dragons and fleets, a stark contrast to the isolated headset experience of the past. "We’re building ‘The Pirate Queen’ as a larger storyworld together," Liu explained, adding that she is drawn to work that challenges convention. With a graphic novel, a game, and a global tour on the horizon, Liu and Singer are proving that the story of Cheng Shih has legs far beyond the headset.
