Per Columbus, just getting the chance to retell the story in more detail is a “fantastic” prospect. The famous director of other great films like Home Alone and Stepmom explained why, telling People the idea of a longform narrative is really exciting.

Original Harry Potter helmer Chris Columbus is praising HBO’s forthcoming television reboot, calling it a “spectacular idea” that will allow for the exploration of previously uncharted Hogwarts hallways.

Now that the Harry Potter franchise will be rebooted in the form of an HBO series airing on Max, rumors are flying around about who will play the iconic characters. Among the many rumors is Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy could take on the the villainous Lord Voldemort.

Casting rumors for the Harry Potter TV reboot have been heating up over the past few months, with plenty of names for Snape and Dumbledore in the mix. The franchise's main villain is now getting some of the limelight with one name consistently being linked with the big bad: Cillian Murphy.

Speaking to PEOPLE at the Nosferatu premiere in Los Angeles, Columbus called the TV series a "spectacular idea," and spilled the beans on Cillian Murphy 's casting rumors. He noted that a series format would allow for more detailed storytelling than the films.

The director of the first two entries in the film franchise thinks this Irish star would be an "amazing" Dark Lord.

The filmmaker, 66, spoke with PEOPLE exclusively at the Los Angeles premiere of Nosferatu, where he reacted to the news that Harry Potter is being adapted into a television series for HBO, following a successful string of films — two of which Columbus directed.

Harry Potter' filmmaker Chris Columbus has opened up on how the HBO reboot series can achieve things the movies couldn't.

Chris Columbus supports a Harry Potter TV series for better capturing book details. The series will offer a more comprehensive exploration of characters and plots. Cillian Murphy's potential casting as Voldemort receives Columbus's approval.