Lucy Liu is taking The Pirate Queen beyond virtual reality. The actress and producer is expanding the historical entertainment franchise with a graphic novel, a new game and an international tour planned for 2027.
According to Variety, Liu and filmmaker Eloise Singer have co-written a graphic novel inspired by Cheng Shih, the formidable Chinese pirate leader who commanded a massive fleet in the South China Sea during the early 19th century.
The expansion comes as Singer joins the 2026 BAFTA Breakthrough U.K. cohort, recognizing her contributions to immersive storytelling.
Who Was Cheng Shih?
Long before Hollywood made pirates synonymous with fictional male captains, Cheng Shih became one of history's most powerful maritime leaders.
Born in China, she rose to command a vast pirate confederation, negotiating with political authorities and establishing rules that governed thousands of sailors.
Her remarkable rise challenges the familiar portrayals of Asian women as secondary figures in historical adventures.
For Liu, bringing Cheng Shih's story to international audiences is about restoring attention to a woman whose accomplishments have often been overlooked in mainstream entertainment.
From Virtual Reality to a Global Experience
The Pirate Queen began as an immersive virtual reality adventure, A Forgotten Legend, released in 2024 with Liu providing the lead voice performance.
The franchise expanded with The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters, an installation presented in the Immersive Competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
Unlike the original headset experience, No Safe Waters uses large-scale projections, sound and movement to place audiences inside the story.
The installation is now being prepared for an international tour in 2027, while a separate game remains in development.
Lucy Liu and Eloise Singer Build a Larger Franchise
Singer has spent approximately a decade developing The Pirate Queen, including several years collaborating with Liu.
Their creative partnership is moving beyond individual projects toward a larger entertainment universe that includes publishing, interactive storytelling and live experiences.
The graphic novel is expected in 2027, although specific publication details and tour destinations have not been finalized.
At a time when entertainment franchises frequently revisit familiar characters, The Pirate Queen offers something different: a historical woman whose extraordinary life provides the foundation for new stories across multiple platforms.
