Syfy Is Bringing George R.R. Martin’s ‘Nightflyers’ to Your TV

Drew Dietsch
TV
TV

Nightflyers is a 1980 novella from Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. Syfy has announced that they are ordering a pilot for a new show based on the story.

The tale concerns a spaceship crew in search of a mythical sentient race known as the Volcryn. But, as they travel further into deep space, strange things begin to occur. When the crew starts getting killed off one by one, they realize that this might be the last journey they ever make.

This Isn’t the First Nightflyers Adaptation

Nightflyers was actually adapted into a film in 1987. However, there were numerous changes made that distanced the finished film from the source material. And if you watch the trailer, you can see that the production ended up more than a little hokey.

The new series is being produced by Robert Jaffe, the writer and producer of the 1987 movie. Martin has reportedly given the new TV pilot script his blessing, but he’s not directly involved in the project. His contract with HBO means he can’t work on any other adaptations with other networks.

There is plenty of potential in Nightflyers. The sci-fi/horror elements are smart and the characters are well-developed. Martin actually expanded his original novella and added a lot of backstory to the many characters. There is plenty of material to develop a series out of. Hopefully, this new version will hew closer to the novella than the 1987 film.

Nightflyers is another show that demonstrates Syfy’s return to the kind of higher caliber productions that made them must-see TV. Their recent slate of shows has been a welcome return to form and reminiscent of such classic Syfy shows as Battlestar Galactica and Stargate Atlantis. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Nightflyers is going to be in the vein of those fan favorites.

Drew Dietsch
Drew Dietsch has been professionally writing about entertainment for over a decade. His bylines include FANDOM - where he was a founding contributor and Entertainment Editor - Bloody Disgusting, SYFY WIRE, and more. He created and hosts GenreVision, a weekly film discussion show at genrevision.com.