Up to 500 will be employed as the cameras begin to roll in the Troy Studios building at the National Technology Park, in Castletroy.
The debut of the Limerick studio as a location for a global film production is being hailed as historic in the home city of film legend Richard Harris.
The television adaptation of Nightflyers tells the story of nine people who embark on an ill-fated journey to save the Earth from destruction.
It is the first major production for Troy Studios whose directors include Ossie Kilkenny, co-owner of Ardmore Studios in Co Wicklow, producer John Kelleher and chief executive Siun Ni Raghallaigh.
Many hotels in the city have been boosted by block booking to host actors and production personnel.
Filming is expected to last up to 16 weeks and senior production and artistic staff arrived at the studio building yesterday, where new security gates have been erected.
The building which covers 350,000sq ft is the largest covered film production space in the country.
Nightflyers is seen as a major start up and likely to attract international focus as the filming proceeds.
The building was acquired from businessman Peter Noonan, by Innovate Limerick a development arm of Limerick City and County Council.
It had been one of three buildings and sites in the Limerick area marketed in 2014 to attract film studio owners internationally.
For years, filmmakers had highlighted the lack of indoor filming locations in Ireland.