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Tom Cruise's WWII Film Not Verboten
Tom Cruise
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'Valkyrie' centers on a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler
That's the line that the German Defense Ministry is following regarding the actor shooting his latest project "Valkyrie" in a key military location in Germany, despite earlier reports that the country opposed the film because of Cruise's religion.
According to the trades, the Defense Ministry would "look agreeably" upon the film shooting locally because it shows a side of War World II that hasn't been paid much attention in cinema.
Based on a script by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander, the film revolves around the real-life story of German officer Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (Cruise), who attempted to carry out Operation Valkyrie, the code name of the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The officer was caught and executed in 1944 for the attempt.
Christoph Fisser and Carl Woebcken, the heads of Studio Babelsberg where the film would shoot, felt "Valkyrie" was important because it shows that there was actually military opposition to Hitler's regime.
"The assassination attempt against Hitler is hardly known outside Germany," said Fisser. "We should therefore be delighted and welcome this wonderful opportunity to improve the image of our country."
Producers have been considering shooting at the Benderblock memorial in Berlin, where Von Stauffenberg and his colleagues first devised the plan to kill Hitler with a bomb-laden suitcase and where they were also later executed.
Initially, reports had claimed Germany would deny "Valkyrie" access to the memorial. The controversy began after the website of conservative German parliament member Antje Blumenthal posted a statement that Defense Minister Franz-Josef would oppose Cruise's film because of his Scientology, which is considered a dangerous cult in the country.
The film should begin shooting in July, slated for a 2008 release.
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