Less than one week after Warner Bros. set a November 18, 2016 release date for the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Nikki Finke is reporting that Alfonso Cuarón is in "deep talks" to direct.

If a deal is finalized, it will mark the filmmaker's return to the popular franchise, after directing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004. The story is based on the textbook of the same name used in both J.K. Rowling's novels and the movie adaptations, which follows the adventures of author Newt Scamander.

The project is the first in a planned trilogy, set 70 years before Harry Potter first arrives at Hogwarts, following the fictitious author's adventures throughout the wizarding world of New York City. While the laws and customs of the magical society will be familiar to readers and fans of the movies, the spin-off will introduce a new set of characters and creatures.

Alfonso Cuarón is coming off the sci-fi blockbuster Gravity, which won him an Oscar for Best Director back in March.