EXCLUSIVE: Game of Thrones alum Aidan Gillen is set as the lead in History’s scripted drama series Blue Book, executive produced by Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis. In addition, Maleficent helmer Robert Stromberg, an Oscar and Emmy-winning production designer/special effects artist, is set to direct the first two episodes of the series, from A+E Studios and Compari Entertainment, a division of Zemeckis’ ImageMovers.

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Created and written on spec by David O’Leary, the 10-episode Blue Book chronicles the true top secret U.S. Air Force-sponsored investigations into UFO-related phenomena in the 1950s and ’60s, known as “Project Blue Book.” Gillen will play Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a brilliant astrophysicist, family man, and UFO skeptic who is recruited as the Chief Scientific Advisor to “Project Blue Book.”

O’Leary co-executive produces, with Sean Jablonski (Suits) serving as showrunner, executive producer and writer. Zemeckis, Jack Rapke (Flight) and Jackie Levine (Allied) are executive producers for Compari Entertainment.

Gillen, who played Petyr ‘Littlefinger’ Baelish on the first seven seasons of Game of Thrones, is currently filming the Freddie Mercury feature Bohemian Rhapsody, playing John Reid, Queen’s manager from 1975 to 1978, and just wrapped a Dave Allen biopic for BBC Two. He will be seen next in the upcoming season of Peaky Blinders.

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Stromberg became the first production designer to win back-to-back Oscars for his work on James Cameron’s Avatar and Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland. He also received a total of five Emmys for special visual effects for his work on Boardwalk Empire, John Adams, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: The Next Generation. His directorial debut, feature Maleficent, grossed over $750 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing live-action directorial debut ever.

Gillen is repped by The Coronel Group, Independent Talent UK, Greene & Associates Talent Agency and McKuin Frankel and Whitehead.

Blue Book is one of two new History scripted series that are now casting, along with The Breach: Inside the Impeachment of Bill Clinton from producer R.J. Cutler.