British actor Martin Freeman has been signed to play Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn in "Nightwatching," a film by director Peter Greenaway says Reuters.

Dutch producer Kees Kasander, a longtime collaborator of Greenaway's, said shooting will begin next month. "Nightwatching" will focus on the creation of "The Nightwatch," one of Rembrandt's most famous paintings, and the effect it had on his private life.

The women in his life will be played by Sarah Polley (Saskia) and Minnie Driver (Geertje). The project is closely linked with an exhibition on Rembrandt, also titled "Nightwatching," developed by Greenaway for the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum.