Nightflyers: Syfy orders George R.R. Martin’s novella to pilot

Syfy network has ordered a pilot for George R.R. Martin’s novella, Nightflyers. Martin is best known for writing the widely popular A Song of Ice and Fire that inspired the Game of Thrones series on HBO, but this gives him another possible property on television.

According to Variety, Syfy first revealed back in May that they were going to be developing the novella as a television series. The show is set to follow eight maverick scientists and a powerful telepath who embark on an expedition to the edge of the solar system in the hope of contacting alien life. The small tightknit crew and their reclusive captain travel aboard a ship called The Nightflyer. But when terrifying and violent events begin to take place the crew start to question each other, and surviving the journey proves harder than anyone thought.

Martin’s novella was previously made into feature film in 1987, which starred Catherine Mary Stewart, Michael Praed, and the late Fresh Prince of Bel Air star James Avery.

Jeff Buhler was picked to write the adaptation for television and will serve as an executive producer. Other executive producers include Gene Klein, David Bartis, Doug Liman of Hypnotic, Alison Rosenzweig, and Michael Gaeta of Gaeta Rosenzweig Films. Lloyd Ivan Miller and Alice P. Neuhauser will also executive producerwith Robert Jaffe producing.

Bill McGoldrick, executive vice president of scripted development for NBC Universal Cable Entertainment expressed his excitement for the series with the following statement:

“We are looking forward to diving deeper into George R.R. Martin’s chilling world of Nightflyers. The script that Jeff delivered encapsulates this classic sci-fi horror story and adapts it to a platform where we can truly explore the depths of madness.”

The announcement of Nightflyers comes on the heels of Syfy looking to rebrand itself. The network is leaning toward genre programming, such as science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, and superheroes/comics. For instance, Syfy picked up the Superman prequel Krypton and graphic novel adaptation Happy! starring Law & Order: SVU alum Christopher Meloni. They also have created the new logo, which you can see at the top of the article if you have not already.