Syfy has greenlighted a pilot for Nightflyers, a supernatural thriller based on the novella by George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and the 1987 film. Additionally, I hear that the project, from Universal Cable Prods. and studio-based Hypnotic (USA’s Suits), is in the process of setting up a writers room to generate backup scripts in preparation for a potential series pickup.

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Jeff Buhler (Jacob’s Ladder) wrote the adaptation of Nightflyers, which is set in the future on the eve of Earth’s destruction. In the hope of making contact with alien life, eight maverick scientists and a powerful telepath embark on an expedition to the edge of our solar system 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 one another — and surviving the journey proves harder than anyone thought.

“We are looking forward to diving deeper into George R.R. Martin’s chilling world of Nightflyers,” said Bill McGoldrick, EVP Scripted Development for NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. “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.”

Nightflyers is executive produced by Gene Klein, David Bartis and Doug Liman of Hypnotic; Buhler; Alison Rosenzweig and Michael Gaeta of Gaeta Rosenzweig Films; Lloyd Ivan Miller and Alice P. Neuhauser of Lloyd Ivan Miller Productions. Robert Jaffe, writer and producer of the 1987 Nightflyers feature adaptation, produces.

Nightflyers is one of two Martin literary properties that had been optioned by Syfy sibling UCP for TV series, along with Wild Cards. Martin is not involved in the projects as he is under an exclusive deal at HBO.

Nightflyers was announced last month in development as part of Syfy’s reboot, along with series pickups for the Superman prequel Krypton and graphic novel adaptation Happy!, starring Christopher Meloni.