Nearly 30 years since JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book hit shelves in 1997, and 25 years after the first Harry Potter film landed on screens, fans are looking forward to a return to the wizarding world with a new TV series. Now, as the TV reboot heats up, fans are tossing around ideas for who should play which characters. And one name that has been popping up everywhere is Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy.

It looks like, though, this is not just some wishful thinking of fans anymore. Even the director of the original films has given his thumbs up.

Harry Potter director Chris Columbus is fully on board with Cillian Murphy taking on the role of Lord Voldemort. The filmmaker, who directed the first two movies – The Philosopher's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets – shared his thoughts with PEOPLE. “Well, Cillian is one of my favorite actors, so that would be amazing,” he said. Columbus also raved about the HBO reboot, calling it a “spectacular idea.”

No official casting has been confirmed for the Harry Potter series yet, but an open casting call for the young leads did go out in 2024. Bridge of Spies star Mark Rylance is being linked to the role of Albus Dumbledore, while Black Mirror star Paapa Essiedu has reportedly been offered the role of Severus Snape. But Chris Columbus is not the only original franchise figure who is backing Cillian Murphy as Voldemort.

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Even Ralph Fiennes, who originally played Voldemort in the 8-films-long franchise, has given his seal of approval to this fan-favorite casting.

People really want to see Cillian Murphy as a supervillain. There were even rumors about him landing a coveted MCU role, but that eventually went to someone else. But the idea of him playing Voldemort is gaining some serious momentum. During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live in December, Ralph Fiennes was asked about the possibility of Murphy taking over the role in HBO’s upcoming series. "I would be all in favor of Cillian,” said Fiennes.

Fiennes himself has also expressed interest in revisiting the role. In November 2022, he told Variety that “of course” he would play Voldemort again if asked. His comments came just after David Zaslav announced that the company was looking into creating "something with J.K. on Harry Potter going forward.” Now, only time will tell who will step into the shoes of the legendary dark wizard.

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What do you think about Chris Columbus' interview? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!