Cruise Gets Germany's Marks of Approval
It's not getting a free pass, but Valkyrie will be getting a fistful of dollars.
The German government said Thursday that it will issue $6.5 million, or 4.8 million euros, in subsidies for Tom Cruise's upcoming World War II project, hoping to diminish the recent furor over the country's refusal to allow filming at a memorial site located within the Defense Ministry complex.
"Yes, it's been approved," Christine Berg, head of the German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) project, told Reuters, referring to the government funds. "The application was submitted, the criteria for the grant were fulfilled and the project was approved."
Valkyrie's budget has been estimated at $80 million, with about two-thirds of that being earmarked for filming in Germany.
The Federal Film Board's recently established $80 million DFFF, a grant that usually surpasses the total cost of most German films, will be writing the check for Cruise's latest effort, a nonfiction drama about Colonel Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg's unsuccessful attempt on Adolf Hitler's life in 1944.
A briefcase bomb planted underneath a conference table at Hitler's Wolf's Lair headquarters on July 20, 1944, ended up only wounding the Nazi leader, and Stauffenberg was executed the next morning after returning to Berlin, unaware that his and his fellow collaborators' plan, code named Operation Valkyrie, had failed.
Cruise will play Stauffenberg and produce the film with United Artists partner Paula Wagner and Germany's Studio Babelsberg. Bryan Singer will direct and Kenneth Branagh has been tapped to costar.
Not approved was United Artists' request to film part of the movie at the Benderblock building, the site of Stauffenberg's execution and now a national memorial as well as the second seat of the Minister of Defense.
Two weeks ago, stories circulated that the German Defense Ministry had banned the production from the Benderblock because Cruise practices Scientology, a belief system that the European nation doesn't recognize as a religion, but rather as a dangerous cult, on par with neo-Nazism.
Stauffenberg's eldest son also told a German newspaper that he did not want Cruise portraying his father, that the film was "sure to be crap" if the Jerry Maguire star took the lead.
"I am not saying that Cruise is a bad actor—I cannot judge that. But, in any case, I fear that it could turn into horrible kitsch," 72-year-old Berthold von Stauffenberg said.
A few days later, a spokesman for the office backtracked on the blanket dismissal, saying that they had not yet received such an application from Cruise & Co. but would look upon such a request "agreeably."
By Monday, however, the Germany Finance Ministry had stated that filming at the military site is generally verboten due to a bad experience with a German filmmaker awhile back, and that the Cruise film—regardless of its star's Thetan status—would not be granted a permit.
Valkyrie, slated for a 2008 release, is scheduled to start shooting July 18.
The Big Picture
Happy Meal Katherine Heigl and her crew have a bit of fun while grabbing some fast food
More PhotosMost Commented
- Bitch-Back! Breaking News—Johnny's a Hottie (984)
- Twilight Rewind: Hot Dish From the Cast Last Year! (798)
- Costars and Suits Give Robsten Their Blessings! (650)
- Blab Blab Blab: Is Twilight Sexist? (552)
- Truth, Lies & Ted: Twilight Special (478)
- Is New Moon Even Good? (455)
- Why Won't Sarah Palin Go Away? (440)
- Bitch-Back! What's Brad Got to Do With It? (426)
- Is Ugly Betty Ending? And Who Gets the Girl? (409)
- Ridiculous Twilight Hookups in an "All Taken" Cast (348)
Top 10 Stories
- Taylor Swift Tops Even Michael Jackson at American Music Awards
- New Moon Makes a Lot of Money (But Not Quite Batman Money)
- Jon (Plus Flowers) & Kate Reunite to Put Finishing Touches on Divorce
- New Moon Eclipses Dark Knight!
- Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray & More Continue Singing Oprah's Praises
- Michael Jackson's Doc Shipped Propofol From Vegas to L.A., Records Show
- Unleashed Fangirls Derail Justin Bieber Appearance
- Miley Cyrus' Tour Bus in Deadly Crash
- Good News for Miley: She's Officially Not a Racist
- New Moon's "Absolutely Freakish" Debut
Fashion Police
Green With Envy?Not quite, but we do give Kristen props for this shot of color during her New Moon press tour
More Photos
Latest Movie Reviews
Get Your E! News Now
9 Comments
-
Show the next 1 - 0 of 9 comments
Now loading...