LUCY LIU TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE AND VOICE LEGENDARY PIRATE CHENG SHIH IN SINGER STUDIO’S TRIBECA FESTIVAL-BOUND VR GAME, ‘THE PIRATE QUEEN’

Singer Studios |

Three levels of the multi-platform experience will world premiere in the Immersive Category and in Competition at the Tribeca Festival, June 9 - 17, 2023


LONDON, U.K. (May 31, 2023) —Female-led Singer Studios today announced Lucy Liu, the award-winning actress, producer, director, and artist, will executive produce and voice the Tribeca Festival-bound, puzzle adventure VR game The Pirate Queen. Debuting on Steam VR and Quest 2, the immersive adventure game tells the forgotten story of the legendary Cheng Shih, the most successful pirate in history, using wit and strategy to navigate obstacles and unlock her fascinating story.

Watch NEW Teaser Trailer for The Pirate Queen

Lucy Liu will lend her voice to the Pirate Queen herself. The game’s narrative is a thrilling journey of cunning, stealth, and daring maritime exploits, beautifully rendered with a visually stunning art style. In addition to providing a rich narrative experience, the game will explore themes of female empowerment and diversity, contributing to the studio's mission of telling stories that challenge the status quo and spark change.

The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend, will explore the life and times of the real-life Cheng Shih, the most successful pirate in history, who, from humble beginnings, commanded a fleet of 70,000 across the South China Sea in the 19th century. Singer Studios has meticulously researched Cheng Shih’s story, ensuring players will experience a historically accurate adventure.

“Lucy is a formidable talent, her performance as the voice of the Pirate Queen is truly exceptional.” said director, Eloise Singer. “It was a pleasure working with her to bring the character to life, her ability to convey depth and nuance into the character have added layers of complexity to Cheng Shih's personality, making the Pirate Queen a truly compelling and memorable character.”

Liu, famous for her roles in Charlie's Angels, Kill Bill, and more, will undoubtedly deepen Pirate Queen’s action-thriller qualities and amplify AAPI voices and visibility.  

“I’m really excited to be working alongside Eloise to bring new life to a forgotten story about Cheng Shih – a fascinating woman, who with incredible resilience and tenacity, became a powerful pirate leader during the Qing Dynasty," said Lucy Liu. "This project marks the first time I embody a character through immersive storytelling and I’m honored to join forces with Singer Studios to share this historical narrative with a potentially new and expanded audience.”

Orion Lee also joins the cast.  Lee garnered awards recognition for his leading performance as King Lu in A24’s 'First Cow'. 

The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend boasts an array of gameplay mechanics unique to VR that offer players a diverse experience, including exploration, throwing, climbing, rowing, fishing, and solving environmental puzzles.

The Pirate Queen will have its World Premiere at the Tribeca Festival, and the full game will release in early 2024 and will be available on Meta Quest headsets and mobile devices.

Join Singer Studios on their exciting journey with The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend and other projects by visiting their website at https://www.singerstudios.co.uk. Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, behind-the-scenes content, and more by following them on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

SYNOPSIS

The Pirate Queen is the forgotten story of Cheng Shih - a woman in 19th-century China who became one of the most powerful pirates in history. When the leader of the fleet dies suddenly, a widowed Cheng Shih faces the possibility of losing her status, security and even her life. Players take on the identity of Cheng Shih to complete a series of puzzle-based tasks, and outsmart enemies to become the Pirate Queen. The Pirate Queen game is part of an expansive franchise, currently being developed as a graphic novel, podcast and TV series with Beijing, China’s Seesaw Films (The Farewell).

ABOUT SINGER STUDIOS

Singer Studios is a female-led UK-based production company and creative studio that specialises in a new frontier of entertainment. Led by award-winning filmmaker Eloise Singer, Singer Studios uses the power of storytelling to push boundaries, challenge the status quo and spark change. Across film, tv, podcast and interactive media, we tell the best untold stories through cinematic narratives and captivate global audiences with fresh perspectives.

Our work has shown at festivals around the world including Venice, London, SXSW, Raindance and Sundance: London.

https://www.singerstudios.co.uk
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ABOUT LUCY LIU

Lucy Liu is a true powerhouse in the entertainment industry, with a multi-hyphenate career that has earned her widespread critical acclaim and garnered several Emmy and SAG Award nominations. Liu’s career expands across television, film, Broadway and fine art. Most recently she lent to her voice to Disney's animated film 'Strange World' and starred in Warner Bros.' 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods.' Additional memorable credits include: ‘Ally McBeal,’ ‘Elementary,’ ‘Why Women Kill,’ the ‘Charlie’s Angeles,’ ‘Kill Bill,’ and ‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchises, the Oscar-winning ‘Chicago,’ and many more. Up next, Liu will star alongside Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans in Amazon’s holiday adventure film, ‘Red One,’ with Christoph Waltz and Cooper Hoffman in ‘Old Guy,’ and with Jeff Daniels and Diane Lane in Netflix’s ‘A Man in Full.’ Liu is represented by Framework Entertainment, APA, CAA, and Schreck Rose. 

ABOUT THE CREATORS

Eloise Singer is a multi award-winning creative director, producer and founder of Singer Studios. She is the director of the critically acclaimed MRS BENZ and THE PIRATE QUEEN, and has previously produced films with Pierce Brosnan, Billie Piper and Lily James. Singer's work has shown at festivals around the world including Venice, London, SXSW, Raindance and Sundance: London. She is currently producing and directing a 3 part documentary series with XYZ Films and Library Films ('The Tiger King', 'Fyre').

Maja Bodenstein is a London-based storyteller of Chinese/German heritage, fluent in English, German, Mandarin. In 2020 she was selected as an inaugural BEATS Screenwriting Fellow 2020, as part of a mentoring scheme aimed at British East Asian writers and directors backed by ScreenSkills and the BFI. She is developing 'The Pirate Queen' as a TV series with Singer Studios ('Rare Beasts') and Seesaw Films ('The Farewell'), as well as a feature film with Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s Joi Productions based on an original spec script.