Lucy Liu-Narrated Pirate Queen Debuts at Cannes

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- The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s Immersive Competition, running from May 12 to 22 in a reconfigured demo space at the Carlton Hotel
- Eloise Singer directed the Lucy Liu-narrated work, the latest in her award-winning story-world based on Cheng Shih, the historical commander of the largest pirate fleet
- Singer Studios produced the UK-based project, following their 2024 VR experience The Pirate Queen, which earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Emerging Media Program
- Cannes Film Festival selected eight immersive works, including large-scale projections and VR experiences, for its third Immersive Competition lineup
- Lucy Liu narrates the experience, lending her voice to a project that expands a narrative rooted in a true story of female leadership and maritime power
Why it matters: This premiere marks a rare mainstream platform for historically inspired, female-led narratives in immersive media, with Singer Studios transitioning from VR acclaim to a high-profile festival showcase. The inclusion of *The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters* signals that experiential storytelling with strong historical and feminist angles is gaining institutional recognition at major cultural events.




