The German government does not want Tom Cruise to play the celebrated anti-Hitler officer Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg in the World War II thriller ‘Valkyrie’.
Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg was executed in 1944 after plotting to assassinate Hitler. German officials have said that they would deny permits to film in its military buildings if Tom Cruise stays in the film cast. The film Valkyrie is due for release in 2008.
The German finance ministry has denied that their reason for banning Tom Cruise has anything to do with the fact that he is a Scientologist. You must be wondering how it affects the German government in any way if Tom Cruise is a Scientologist. Well, Germany classifies Scientology as a cult, and a money-making one too.
Way back in1997 Germany began paying spies to keep tabs on the followers of Scientology. Most of the spying ended in 2001, but unfortunately Cruise and Germany have not patched up ever since.
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the director of the movie Valkyrie, has stood by the actor and believes that with Tom Cruise playing Stauffenberg, the German government will be able to improve its goodwill.
via: BBC
