The series is based on George R. R. Martin's novella and short story collection of the same name, and also draws on the 1987 film adaptation of the story.

Syfy began developing the series in 2016 after acquiring the rights to Martin's novella.

George R. R. Martin was not directly involved in producing the series due to his exclusive contract with HBO, though he received an executive producer credit.

Production began in early 2018 on location in Limerick, Ireland, including work at the Limerick-based Troy Studios, with Daniel Cerone serving as showrunner.

Visual effects were handled mainly by Spin VFX, with Territory Studio supplying user interface graphics and Switch Visual Effects providing additional support; the effects had to blend seamlessly with a large practical set built for the ship.

The series holds a 33% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 reviews and a Metacritic score of 47 out of 100, indicating mixed reviews.

Critic Alex McLevy of The A.V. Club compared the show to the film Event Horizon and praised actress Maya Eshet for elevating every scene she appeared in, despite feeling the show lacked depth.

Syfy canceled Nightflyers in February 2019, shortly after its international Netflix debut on February 1, 2019.