Cary Fukunaga may have bowed out of his long-gestating adaptation of Stephen King’s It, but the acclaimed filmmaker has been keeping busy in the realm of television – not to mention via Netflix and Beasts of No Nation.

His latest project, TNT series The Alienist, is beginning to pick up momentum, and now The Wrap is reporting that Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) is circling a key role in the period drama. A deal is still to be finalized, hence why there’s no official statement to relay from TNT at the time of writing.

But The Wrap claims that negotiations are displaying positive signs, and if they go through, the show will have Hedlund assume the role of Theodore Roosevelt – yes, that Theodore Roosevelt – a police commissioner at the time, on the trail of an infamous serial killer wreaking havoc across New York City. Set in the 1800s, The Alienist will be ushered onto the screen via Drive scribe Hossein Amini, taking cues from Caleb Carr’s best-selling novel of the same name.

Garrett Hedlund also has a few notable projects simmering in the pipeline – chief among them being Ang Lee’s early awards contender Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. A prominent role on the small screen could be on the cards, too, should the actor close the deal to headline The Alienist.