Syfy orders 'Nightflyers' series by George R.R. Martin

Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Syfy officially has ordered a series based on the novella Nightflyers by George R.R. Martin, creator of the Game of Thrones.

Syfy, a NBC Universal-owned cable network, confirmed the series pickup Thursday after unofficially ordering the series in September. The pilot was picked up in May.

Netflix will co-produce the series and have first-run rights to the series outside the United States.

The show, produced in Ireland, is based on Martin's 1980 novella and the 1987 film of the same name in which eight maverick scientists and a powerful telepath travel aboard a ship called The Nightflyer to the edge of the solar system to try to contact alien life.

"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 official synopsis said.

Gretchen Mol (Boardwalk Empire) will star as Dr. Agatha Matheson. The cast also includs Eoin Macken (The Night Shift), David Ajala (Fast & Furious 6), Sam Strike (EastEnders), Maya Eshet (Teen Wolf), Angus Sampson (Fargo), Jodie Turner-Smith (The Last Ship) and Brian F. O'Byrne (Million Dollar Baby).

Martin is not directly involved in the project because he is under an exclusive deal at HBO. He is finishing The Winds of Winter, the sixth installment in his Song of Ice and Fire book series, which is the basis of Game of Thrones.

Jeff Buhler wrote the adaptation for television and will executive produce the show with Daniel Cerone, who will also serve as showrunner.

Other scripted originals at Syfy include Channel Zero, 12 Monkeys, Killjoys, The Magicians, Wynonna Earp, Happy and Krypton.