There’s been a shakeup behind the scenes of Syfy’s series adaptation of George R.R. Martin‘s sci-fi epic ‘Nightflyers‘. Showrunner Daniel Cerone has departed, citing “creative differences.” Cerone had been attached since Syfy officially ordered the show to series in January. He will be replaced by executive producer Jeff Buhler, who penned the script for the pilot. Cerone will move over to another, unnamed genre project with ‘Nightflyers” production company Universal Cable Productions. Terry Matalas, the showrunner of Syfy’s veteran hit ‘12 Monkeys‘ was briefly brought onboard to consult.
‘Nightflyers’ is about a group of scientists and a telepath who journey aboard a ship called the Nightflyer to the edge of the solar system in hopes of locating alien life. It’s based on Martin’s 1980 novella which was previously adapted into a feature film in 1987. The cast includes Gretchen Mol who plays Dr. Agatha Matheson, 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 Brian F. O’Byrne as Auggie.
Syfy has brought in Netflix as a production partner to offset the cost of what is believed to be the most expensive series ever from the network. (Netflix hosts a number of Syfy original series on its streaming service.) The series is filming in Ireland and also enjoys tax benefits from the Irish government via the minister for culture, heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Irish Film Board.
‘Nightflyers’ was put into development last May, with a pilot being ordered in June. It was officially ordered to series in January, which was when Cerone stepped aboard as showrunner. Robert Jaffe, who penned the screenplay for the 1987 movie is attached as a producer. Martin is also credited as an executive producer, but he is not expected to play a heavy role with this series due to his commitment to HBO where he is busy developing two potential ‘Game of Thrones’ prequels.
Buhler penned the 2008 horror film, ‘The Midnight Meat Train’ which starred Bradley Cooper, Vinnie Jones, Leslie Bibb and Brooke Shields. He also contributed to the anthology film ‘The ABCs of Death’ in a segment ‘J Is For Jesus’. He is also attached to pen several upcoming projects including ‘Pet Cemetery’ and ‘The Grudge’.
Syfy has not yet announced a premiere date for ‘Nightflyers’ but it’s likely to debut this upcoming fall or winter season.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
