Deathlands: Frakes Directs, NextCypher Expands Sci-Fi Universe

The visionary director Frakes expresses enthusiasm, highlighting Deathlands’ mix of action and character drama.

According to Deadline, Jonathan Frakes of Star Trek will direct a television adaptation of the science fiction book series “Deathlands” for the Web3 production studio NextCypher, which crypto developer Jeff Garzik owns.

Frakes, renowned for portraying Commander William Riker in the Star Trek franchise, has also directed Burn Notice, Roswell, and two Star Trek films, among others. Garzik, an accomplished developer of Bitcoin Core in the past, established NextCypher in 2022.

Garzik told Deadline, “I founded NextCypher to monetize on the demand for innovative, high-quality genre entertainment.” “I am delighted to observe the market’s concurrence with our objective of creating exceptional, well-budgeted content for an international audience.”

Deathlands, initially released in 1986, is set in a post-apocalyptic world and chronicles the exploits of a group of survivors forced to unite to transverse their hostile environment using telportation technology.

“With a series that is gritty, suspenseful, and action-packed, with a sense of hope, romance, and resiliency in the face of adversity, I cannot fathom anyone more qualified than the visionary director Jonathan Frakes to bring Deathlands to the screen,” Altman told Deadline.

“I am ecstatic to have him on board to ensure that the series becomes mandatory viewing for audiences worldwide.” Presently, filming in Bulgaria is planned for this spring.

In addition to Thomas P. Vitale, Garzik functions as an executive producer, while Mark A. Altman assumes the dual roles of showrunner and executive producer.

Tai Truesdell and Bertrand Reignier of Rogue Wave Entertainment are in charge of international sales, while Christine Sheaks is in charge of casting. Frakes told Deadline, “One of the things I find so compelling about Deathlands is that it is a series about hope and the opportunity to create a better society.”

“I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to introduce the world to this program, which combines the action of feature-length with compelling character drama.”

NextCypher’s Expansion into Sci-Fi Genre Beyond “Deathlands”

However, Deathlands represents only the beginning of the Web3 production studio. An additional science fiction series is also in development by NextCypher; it follows a woman whose memory is wiped while she attempts to “save the outcasts of society from a lethal conspiracy that threatens to destroy the future.”

Garzik stated, “Considering the success of similar post-apocalyptic series based on successful intellectual properties such as The Last of Us and the anxiously anticipated Fallout, Deathlands is an ideal launchpad for us.” The date of release has not yet been disclosed.