Martin Freeman's going Nightwatching

After a diversion to bring us the little-seen Tulse Luper Suitcases, Peter Greenaway’s digging into a filmmaking genre he’s clearly more excited about – historical biography.

He’s already made TV projects about Mozart and Charles Darwin, and he’ll next direct Nightwatching, about Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn. Confetti’s Martin Freeman has already signed on to play the paint-splasher, and he’s now being joined by Eva Birthistle, Nathalie Press, Emily Holmes and Jodhi May.

Birthistle – last seen in Breakfast On Pluto – will play his wife, while On A Clear Day’s Jodhi May and Snakes On A Plane actress Holmes appear as his mistresses.

Because Greenaway doesn’t just make films, Nightwatching won’t be a simple telling of Rembrandt’s life – the director plans to make a fresh analysis of the titular painting.

"The ideas go beyond manufacturing a film," Greenaway told Variety. He plans to turn the painting into a “living phenomena”, which we’re sure will have them rushing to cinemas.

He’ll shoot in Poland and Wales shortly.