Emmy-Nominated Singer Studios and Lucy Liu Return with Cannes
Immersive Competition Selection
BALI, INDONESIA, May 2026
Viking Sunset Studios, the international film production hub based in Tabanan, Bali, today
announced its investment in The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters, the highly anticipated new
immersive experience from London-based Singer Studios. The project, directed and produced
by Eloise Singer and narrated by Academy Award-nominated actress Lucy Liu, has been
selected as one of eight works in competition at the Cannes Film Festival Immersive
Competition 2026, one of the most prestigious platforms in the world for immersive and
extended reality storytelling.
About The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters
The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters is the latest chapter in the award-winning Pirate Queen
story-world developed by Singer Studios. The experience places its audience inside the world of
Cheng Shih, the legendary woman who defied the Chinese imperial government and
commanded the most powerful pirate fleet in recorded history, a fleet numbering in the
hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of men, before negotiating her own terms of surrender
and walking away entirely on her own conditions.
Narrated by Lucy Liu, who also serves as Executive Producer alongside Eloise Singer and Dave
Ranyard, the project combines cinematic storytelling with high-level interactivity to create an
experience that does not ask its audience to watch a story but to inhabit one. The creative
approach builds directly on the foundation of the original The Pirate Queen experience,
available on Meta Quest 2 and 3, PCVR, and HTC Vive, which accumulated an extraordinary
awards record since its release on March 7th, 2024.
The Pirate Queen: Awards and Recognition
Winner, Storyscapes Award, Tribeca Film Festival (2023)
Winner, Raindance Discovery Award for Best Debut (2021)
Nominated, Emmy Award for Outstanding Emerging Media Program (2024)
Nominated, PGA Innovation Award (2024)
Cannes Immersive Competition 2026
Now in its third year, the Cannes Film Festival Immersive Competition is recognised as the
leading global platform for work at the frontier of immersive storytelling, encompassing virtual
reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. Selection in competition represents rigorous
curatorial validation of a project’s creative ambition, technical execution, and contribution to the
evolution of the medium.
The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters is one of eight works selected for the 2026 competition. Its
inclusion places it among the most significant immersive projects being produced anywhere in
the world. The official selection listing can be viewed on the Cannes Immersive Competition
official website. Full coverage of the selection was also reported by Deadline Hollywood.
Viking Sunset Studios: Strategic Investment in the Future of Immersive
Storytelling
Viking Sunset Studios’ investment in The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters reflects the studio’s
commitment to supporting creative work that operates at the genuine frontier of the medium.
Founded with a vision of positioning Bali as a world-class international production hub, Viking
Sunset Studios has consistently sought partnerships that demonstrate both creative integrity
and global ambition.
The Pirate Queen story-world, as developed by Singer Studios, represents exactly the kind of
project that Viking Sunset Studios believes in: a story rooted in a remarkable true history, told
with an honesty and boldness that transcends format, and executed with the technical
sophistication that the global immersive industry demands. The Cannes selection is
confirmation of what the team at Viking Sunset Studios saw when they first encountered the
project.
Statements
“The story of Cheng Shih is one of the great untold stories of history, and Eloise
Singer and her team are telling it in a way that does full justice to its scale and
complexity. We are proud to be investors in this project and deeply honoured to be
connected to a Cannes selection. This is exactly the kind of work we want Viking
Sunset Studios to be part of.”
Bo H. Holmgreen, Founder, Viking Sunset Studios
About Singer Studios
Singer Studios is a London-based creative studio founded by Eloise Singer, specialising in
immersive storytelling at the intersection of film, technology, and interactivity. The studio’s
portfolio includes The Pirate Queen with Lucy Liu, Mrs Benz with Daisy Ridley, and productions
across film and television. For more information, visit www.singerstudios.co.uk.
About The Pirate Queen
The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend is an Emmy-nominated VR experience directed by
Eloise Singer, narrated by Lucy Liu, and available on Meta Quest 2 and 3, PCVR, and HTC
Vive. The experience tells the true story of Cheng Shih, history’s most powerful pirate
commander. For more information, visit www.thepiratequeengame.com.
About Viking Sunset Studios
Viking Sunset Studios is an international film and creative production hub based in Tabanan,
Bali, Indonesia. The studio offers world-class production facilities including a soundproof green
screen studio, professional equipment, and access to a range of unique natural locations. Viking
Sunset Studios supports productions ranging from major international film projects to
independent creative work and content production across all formats. For more information, visit
www.vikingsunsetstudios.com.
Media Contact
Viking Sunset Studios
Email: info@vikingsunsetstudios.com
Website: www.vikingsunsetstudios.com
Instagram: @vikingsunsetstudios
