When Was Nightflyers Released, Who Are The Cast Members? All You Need To Know

Quick Facts

Followers and fans of George R.R Martin’s work were thrilled beyond ecstatic when Syfy announced that a new series straight from the mind of the legendary author was going to be made. The haunting new science fiction series called Nightflyers is based on the author’s novella and 1987 movie of the same title. The first season of Nightflyers, adapted for television by Jeff Bugler, will span 10 episodes, with George R.R Martin working as one of the executive producers.

Nightflyers takes audiences into the world of eight scientists and a telepath with incredible powers who undertakes a journey into outer space aboard a state-of-the-art ship called the Nightflyer in search of alien life. The expedition, however, becomes fraught with danger; violent and chilling events begin to occur, and the team start questioning and blaming one another. The reclusive ship captain and his tight-knit crew are faced with the harrowing task of surviving what the space ship throws at them, and the grim possibility that something terrifying might be on the Nightflyer with them.

Every action on the Nightflyer is high-stakes and every decision could have deadly consequences. With the story set in the year 2093, this futuristic psychological thriller takes the characters and audiences to the edge of space and insanity. Its core message is that in everything you are afraid of, the horror that might wreck doesn’t always come from outside, sometimes it’s already within; at least this is what the crew on board the Nightflyer have to learn.

The Nightflyer’s mission is to make contact with alien life and intercept their spaceship with the hope of saving mankind, but what form of salvation does humanity deserve? Anyway, the series combines regular soap opera dramatics with space horror. The crew grapples with serious life problems while facing an existential crisis, and their survival and mankind’s depends on what they make of this adventure.

Who Are The Cast Members?

Maya Eshet (Lommie)

Maya plays the role of a cyber technician specialist who is better at interacting with computers than she is with her fellow humans. The gender-fluid scientist merges with computers by surgically injecting Neuro-Port into her arms.

The Israeli actress began her acting career when she was only nine years old, working as a voice artist and recording voices for cartoon characters. Through the years, Maya has carved out success for herself in the industry. She has featured in several notable works including To The Bone, Flower, Dead Women Walking, Keep Watching, My Boring Life, and Voices from the Heartland: Slaves of the Lord. Maya has also scored television credits on several shows such as Teen Wolf, Man Seeking Woman, Love, Krill Show, and Scandal: Gladiators Wanted webisodes.

David Ajala (Roy Eris)

The Nightflyer’s reclusive captain is none other than the British actor, David Ajala. He is also the head of Eris Corporation, a prominent organisation in the business of building old-world colonies in outer space. Roy is a solitary person who takes pleasure hiding away in his private chamber, where a terrible secret lurks in the shadows and prefers communicating with his crew via computer interfaces.

David began his acting career on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he performed in stellar productions such as Hamlet, A Midsummer Night Dream, The Witness, and more which have played at several prestigious theatres.

Most people would recognise David from his roles in movies like Fast & Furious 6, The Dark Knight, Black Box, Jupiter Ascending, Playback Season, and One Day. He has also played a diverse range of television characters appearing in award-winning series including Law & Order: UK, Dr Who, Silent Witness, and Death in Paradise. The actor seems perfectly suited for his new role on Nightflyers.

Gretchen Moi (Dr Agatha Matheson)

Gretchen plays Dr Agatha Matheson, a psychiatrist whose speciality is working with telepaths. Agatha chooses to join the Nightflyer crew in spite of her fears about space travel so as to protect one of her telepaths from the rest of the team who are highly suspicious of him.

Gretchen is a talented actress with experience spanning both screen and stage. Some might recognise the beautiful actress from her role in Seven Seconds, a crime drama, and Yellowstone, in which she stars alongside Kevin Costner. She has also featured in Manchester by the Sea, A Family Man, Mozart in the Jungle, and the TV series Chance, Life on Mars, and Spin City. Gretchen played a part in Broadway’s production of Disgraced at Lyceum Theatre, Chicago, and an off-Broadway theatrical version of The Shape of Things.

Perhaps, Gretchen’s most important credit is Broadwalk Empire, the award-winning series produced by Martin Scorsese, for which she received a Screen Act Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast alongside fellow castmates.

Eoin Macken (Karl D’Branin)

Eoin plays a handsome, brilliant astrophysicist named Karl, who leads the Nightflyer expedition far into outer space in search of extraterrestrial life.

Eoin is an Irish filmmaker, model, author, and actor who has appeared in several movies including The Callback Queen, Centurion, the upcoming film Close, The Forest, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. He has also featured in a number of TV series including the Emmy nominated show Killing Jesus, as well as Merlin, and The Tudors. Eoin starred in Leopard, a movie he wrote and directed. Don’t be surprised if you find Eoin Maclean’s name on a bookshelf, he is also an accomplished writer with two books to his credit: Kingdom of Scars, and Hunter and the Grape.

Bryan O’Bryne (Auggie)

Auggie is an accomplished and experienced veteran who has worked as chief engineer for the Nightflyer for over two decades. The character played by O’Bryne is loyal to the ship’s captain and eager to fulfil his every dictate, even if it means becoming a killer.

O’Bryne has a very impressive acting resume both on and off screen. He is popular for his work in television series like Mercy Street, Prime Suspect, Brotherhood, Love/Hate, Saints & Strangers, Flashforward, Aquarius, and the miniseries Manhunt: Unibomber, and Little Boy Blue, which won him a BAFTA award for Supporting Actor. He also scored an Emmy nominated role in Mildred Pierce, starring alongside Kate Winslet.

The talented actor also has film experience starring in movies such as Million Dollar Baby, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Queen and Country, and Jimmy Hall. Fans of the stage would also recognise him from his performances on Broadway in productions like Frozen, which won him a Tony Award, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Doubt, and much more. He has won multiple awards for his acting dexterity and has been nominated for many others.

Jodie Turner-Smith (Melantha Jhirl)

Jodie plays the character Mel, a genetically enhanced cadet hand-selected by the Nightflyer’s commanding officer to join the mission. Mel is athletic, gorgeous, and one of the most brilliant members of the Genetic Space Program. Although she is loyal to D’Branin, her loyalty come under question after the ship’s captain Eris takes notice of her.

Turner-Smith might be recognised from her popular roles in The Last Ship, The Newness, Jett, True Blood, and Mad Dogs. She has also starred in a number of independent films such as The Neon Demon.

Sam Strike (Thale)

Sam gives life to the character Thale, a young L-1 telepath with dangerous psychic powers, believed to be a prototype for future humans. He is heavily sedated and dragged on board the space ship so that he can help the crew communicate with the alien life they are after.

Sam Strike is a British actor who played Monty Rissel, a famous serial killer in Mindhunter, and Johnny Carter in EastEnders, a role that has earned him critical acclaim. He has also featured in Timeless, Leatherface, Silent Witness, and Monster Party.

Angus Sampson (Rowan)

Angus plays Rowan, a friendly, intelligent xeno-biologist aboard the Nightflyer. He is sceptical about the expedition and believes that making contact with aliens might put humanity in a dangerous situation, but he is still willing to lay his life on the line to see the mission to completion.

Angus is an Australian actor whose acting chops is respected and appreciated for its depth. His work has spanned film, television, stage, copywriting, journalism, and broadcasting. He reprised Tucker in the newest addition to the Insidious franchise, Insidious: The Last Key. He also starred in Fargo, the Golden Globe and Emmy winning series.

The brilliant actor has also featured in Where the Wild Things Are, Mad Max: Fury Road, Now Add Honey, Kokoda: 39th Battalion, and Darkness Falls. Angus has been nominated for several awards for his work.

When Was Nightflyers Released

The Nightflyers series premiered on December 2, 2018, on Syfy. The first five episodes were released nightly for the next five nights after the premiere, while the remaining five were released over the next week, with the season finale showing on December 13. This release strategy allows viewers to binge or enjoy the series at their own pace. Nightflyers will also be coming to Netflix.

Things You Need To Know

1. The series is a little different from the book

Although the Nightflyer series is based on the 1980 novella of the same name, it is a little different. The book is only used as source material, as the characters and story are expanded upon.

2. George R.R Martin is involved in the production

George worked as an executive producer on the show, but he was not able to participate heavily because of his contract with HBO.

3. Some of the main characters will not survive

Those familiar with Game of Thrones know that Martin does not shy away from killing off characters in the most surprising ways. It is expected that the series won’t rush into killing characters, but eventually, the body count will be high and it will be worth it.

4. Memory is a weapon in Nightflyers

A lot of the series storyline is focused on the personal lives of the crew and the struggles they battle within themselves. The farther the ship goes, the more the crew retreat into their minds; things spiral out of control as memory becomes a crucial weapon for survival.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.