Claim: Colin Firth plays Johannes Vermeer in Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 2003 drama film directed by Peter Webber . The screenplay was adapted by screenwriter Olivia Hetreed , based on the novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier . Scarlett Johansson stars as Griet , a young 17th-century servant in the household of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer -LRB- played by Colin Firth -RRB- at the time he painted Girl with a Pearl Earring -LRB- 1665 -RRB- in the city of Delft in Holland . Other cast members include Tom Wilkinson , Cillian Murphy , and Judy Parfitt .   Hetreed read the novel before its publication , and her husband 's production company convinced Chevalier to sell the film rights . Initially , the production was to feature Kate Hudson as Griet with Mike Newell directing . Hudson withdrew shortly before filming began , however , and the film was placed in hiatus until the hire of Webber , who re-initiated the casting process . In this , which was his feature film debut , Webber sought to avoid employing traditional characteristics of the period film drama . Cinematographer Eduardo Serra used distinctive lighting and colour schemes similar to Vermeer 's paintings .   Released on 12 December 2003 in North America and on 16 January 2004 in the United Kingdom , Girl with a Pearl Earring earned a worldwide gross of $ 31,466,789 . It garnered a mostly positive critical reception , with a 72 % approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes . Critics generally applauded the film 's visuals and performances while questioning elements of its story . The film was subsequently nominated for ten British Academy Film Awards , three Academy Awards , and two Golden Globe Awards .