Syfy Gives the Green Light on Alien-Themed Thriller ‘Hunters’ Based on Whitley Strieber's Bestselling "Alien Hunter" Book Series

Syfy has given the go-signal to begin production on Hunters, a 13-episode scripted science fiction from Walking Dead executive producer Gale Anne Hurd and 12 Monkeys executive producer Natalie Chaidez who will also act as the show's writer.

Hunters will be based on bestselling author Whitley Strieber's alien-themed thriller book series, the first volume of which, titled "Alien Hunter," was published in August 2013. The second volume, "Alien Hunter: Underworld," saw print in August last year.

Syfy President Dave Howe in a press statement said: "We were so impressed by the pilot script from this outstanding and accomplished creative team led by Gale Anne Hurd and Natalie Chaidez. This fast-paced and innovative program takes viewers inside a chilling yet all-too-familiar world. Adding Hunters to new series such as The Expanse, 12 Monkeys, and the miniseries Childhood's End, provides us with a formidable lineup of diverse, high-end science fiction. As a longtime fan of Whitley's, I am absolutely thrilled to collaborate with everyone at Syfy and UCP, as well as the uber-talented showrunner, Natalie Chaidez, to bring Hunters to life."

Hunters, which is expected to begin airing in 2016, was picked up straight to series after a year in development. It follows a Pennsylvania detective-turned-suspect named Flynn Carroll who, after his wife mysteriously goes missing, is determined to prove his innocence, and to find her. In his search for answers, he finds evidence that dangerous alien cells are living among us. He also learns that the U.S. government has a secret organization in place to thwart their terrorist efforts.

About the upcoming TV series, showrunner Hurd in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter said: "It's based on Whitley Strieber, who's most well-known for Communion. He's a person incredibly well spoken, incredibly bright and incredibly knowledgeable. He had an encounter, and it changed his life -- in good ways and in not so good ways. It's a work of fiction. Many of the books he has written have been nonfiction, and this is fiction. It's based on his book Alien Hunter, and it's about a police officer whose wife goes missing. And in his search to find out the truth of her abduction, he finds something much more dangerous that could potentially affect the fate of the planet."

Co-showrunner Chaidez who will also additionally be writing the Hunters scripts is best known for her work on such hit science fiction TV series as 12 Monkeys, Heroes, and V.