Syfy has handed out a pilot order for a new sci-fi series entitled Nightflyers, based on the beloved George R.R. Martin novel. The network announced just last month that it was developing the project during its upfront presentation, and now it is already moving on to the pilot stage. No details were given regarding a production schedule or casting at this time. Here's what Bill McGoldrick, exec vp scripted development at NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, had to say in a statement in regards to Nightflyers.

"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."

Syfy and Universal Cable Productions are developing a supernatural thriller based on author George R.R. Martin's (Game of Thrones) epic novel Nightflyers. Set in the future on the eve of Earth's destruction, a crew of explorers journey on the most advanced ship in the galaxy, The Nightflyer, to intercept a mysterious alien spacecraft that might hold the key to their survival. 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. As the crew nears their destination, they discover that the ship's artificial intelligence and never-seen captain may be steering them into deadly and unspeakable horrors deep in the dark reaches of space.

Nightflyers is being developed with executive producers Gene Klein (Suits), David Bartis (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) and Doug Liman (Suits) of Hypnotic; Alison Rosenzweig (Jacob's Ladder, Windtalkers) and Michael Gaeta (Jacob's Ladder) of Gaeta Rosenzweig Films; Lloyd Ivan Miller and Alice P. Neuhauser of Lloyd Ivan Miller Productions and Jeff Buhler (Jacob's Ladder), who will write the adaptation. Robert Jaffe, who wrote the screenplay adaptation for the 1987 feature film adaptation of Nightflyers, will serve as a producer.

The Hollywood Reporter also reveals that George R.R. Martin himself will not be involved in the production, since he has an exclusive overall deal at HBO for Game of Thrones, and the new Game of Thrones prequel shows the he is currently developing. With the show moving through the development process so quickly, it's possible that the pilot could be shot in the near future. Deadline also reports that the network is already putting together a writers room, even though the show hasn't been given a series order yet, to get stories ready in case a series order is given. Hopefully we'll have more on Nightflyers in the very near future.