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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Chris Columbus, the director who set the tone for the Harry Potter film franchise with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, has given a glowing endorsement to HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter television adaptation.

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.