George R. R. Martin's 'Nightflyers' scores series order at Syfy, sets cast
“Nightflyers” has officially been ordered to series at Syfy and set its main cast, the cabler announced Thursday.
The series is based on the novella of the same name written by “Game of Thrones” scribe George R.R. Martin. The story follows eight maverick scientists and a powerful telepath who embark on an expedition to the edge of our solar system in the hopes of contacting alien life. They travel aboard The Nightflyer – a ship with a small tightknit crew and a reclusive captain. But when terrifying and violent events begin to take place they start to question each other, and surviving the journey proves harder than anyone thought. The network revealed they were developing the novella as a series back in May. It was previously adapted into the 1987 film of the same name.
Gretchen Mol is set to star as Dr. Agatha Matheson, alongside Eoin Macken as Karl D’Branin, David Ajala as Roy Eris, Sam Strike as Thale, Maya Eshet as Lommie, Angus Sampson as Rowan, Jodie Turner-Smith as Melantha Jhirl, and Brían F. O’Byrne as Auggie.
The series will be produced by Universal Cable Productions. Netflix will co-produce and have first-run rights to the series outside of the U.S.
Jeff Buhler wrote the adaptation for television and will executive produce alongside Daniel Cerone, who will also serve as showrunner. Martin will also executive produce, along with Gene Klein, David Bartis, and Doug Liman of Hypnotic. Alison Rosenzweig and Michael Gaeta of Gaeta Rosenzweig Films will also executive produce with Lloyd Ivan Miller and Alice P. Neuhauser of Lloyd Ivan Miller Productions. Robert Jaffe will produce. Andrew McCarthy will be a producer-director on the project. Mike Cahill will direct the pilot.
Martin will not be involved with the series day-to-day, as he is working on finishing “The Winds of Winter,” the sixth installment in his “Song of Ice and Fire” book series, which serve as the basis for HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
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