Cruise's Valkyrie Ride Delayed—Again

By Gina Serpe
Mon, 7 Apr 2008 02:52:00 PM PDT





Tom Cruise's mission to return to the big screen is beginning to seem


impossible.
For the second time, MGM and United Artists have pushed back the release date of the WWII epic Valkyrie, a film that has been plagued by an inordinate number of problems over the course of its production.
The thriller's new release date, Feb. 13, 2009, falls a full eight months after it was originally scheduled to hit theaters.
In December, the studios postponed the film from June 27 to Oct. 3 to allow director Bryan Singer additional time to shoot a key battle sequence.
Producers have offered no such explanations for the delay this time around, instead chalking up the pushed-back date, usually a red flag, to a tactical move designed to make the most of the movie's opening weekend, which now falls on the Presidents Day holiday.
"MGM is proud and excited to be presenting Valkyrie, and because of that we want to give it the best launch possible," Clark Woods, MGM's domestic distribution president, said.
"When an opening became available for Presidents Day weekend, we seized the opportunity. Having seen a lot of the film and how great it is going to play once it's finished, moving into a big holiday weekend is the right move."
According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, Valkyrie will now face off against potential heavy-hitters Confessions of a Shopaholic, Pink Panther 2, The Wolfman and, apropos of the date, the anticipated Michael Bay remake of Friday the 13th.
In the film, Cruise affects a German accent and a historically accurate eye patch to play Claus von Stauffenberg, a Nazi colonel who plotted the only known assassination attempt—an obviously unsuccessful one—against Adolf Hitler.
The delay is just the latest bit of bad luck to hit the production since filming kicked off in Germany last summer.
Shortly after the project began, some of the more vocal members of the von Stauffenberg family publicly called out the casting of Cruise, claiming he lacked the requisite gravitas. Before their protests had a chance to quiet down, German officials piped up, refusing to grant filmmakers permission to shoot at a memorial site that was to house a pivotal scene in the movie.
Following that hiccup, Germany's defense minister complained about Cruise's ties to Scientology, which has been labeled a cult by the German government.
To top it all off, nighttime footage shot last summer was irreversibly damaged last year after being developed with the wrong chemicals, necessitating costly reshoots.

E! News - Cruise's Valkyrie Ride Delayed—Again - Tom Cruise

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

This is starting to sound Ishtarish-with it's delays.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Quite frankly I do like Tom Cruise's later work, so no problem. I still miss Top Gun though

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Maybe it's good ole L.Ron Hubbard trying to send him a message? LOL

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

17.Aug.1929 Sword of Honour
02.Oct.1936 Distinguished Service Badge, IVth Class
01.Apr.1938 Distinguished Service Badge, IIIrd Class
31.May.1940 Iron Cross, Ist Class
25.Oct.1941 Royal Bulgarian Order of Bravery, IVth Class
11.Dec.1942 Finnish Liberty Cross, IIIrd Class
14.Apr.1943 Wound Badge in Gold
20.Apr.1943 Italian-German Remembrance Medal
08.May.1943 German Cross in Gold

Interesting that none of these appear on the uniform that Cruise is wearing. Did von Stauffenberg not wear any decorations?

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

Anyone else notice this boner?

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Best Regards,
JW

I didn't Slip!! thanks!!

As far as waiting for the film, I have no problem with that, I was watching the news quite some time back, and I still can't get the image of that little man jumping around on Oprah's couch!

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Scott

17.Aug.1929 Sword of Honour
02.Oct.1936 Distinguished Service Badge, IVth Class
01.Apr.1938 Distinguished Service Badge, IIIrd Class
31.May.1940 Iron Cross, Ist Class
25.Oct.1941 Royal Bulgarian Order of Bravery, IVth Class
11.Dec.1942 Finnish Liberty Cross, IIIrd Class
14.Apr.1943 Wound Badge in Gold
20.Apr.1943 Italian-German Remembrance Medal
08.May.1943 German Cross in Gold

Interesting that none of these appear on the uniform that Cruise is wearing. Did von Stauffenberg not wear any decorations?

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

It does not look like he did. I found only 2 photos of him in uniform and both were lacking of decorations. But is this prewar? (definitely precasualty)

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And I agree. At 5'7", Cruise doesn't make the grade, without those platform boots of course or the phone books used to prop him up

'It's Bound To Be Rubbish'

Tom Cruise is planning to make a film about the 1944 bomb plot against Hitler, playing leading conspirator Claus von Stauffenberg. Stauffenberg's son is not impressed, and has told Cruise to "keep his hands off my father."






Claus von Stauffenberg was one of the leading figures in the July 20, 1944 bomb plot against Hitler. Now a new Hollywood movie is being made about the conspiracy.



There was much excitement in Berlin last weekend when Hollywood actor Tom Cruise came to the German capital to scout filming locations for the upcoming movie "Valkyrie," in which he will play Claus von Stauffenberg -- a leading figure in a failed 1944 assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler.


However he would have been unlikely to get a warm reception from Stauffenberg's son, should he have met with him to discuss the role. Stauffenberg Junior is less than thrilled about the celebrity Scientologist playing the role of his father.

"It's bound to be rubbish," 72-year-old Berthold Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, a retired German army officer and the oldest of Claus von Stauffenberg's five children, told the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung in an interview published in Friday's edition.

"It is unpleasant for me that an avowed Scientologist will be playing my father," Stauffenberg Junior told the newspaper. He admitted that he seldom went to the cinema or watched television, and that he only knew Cruise from "one of those military films" ("Top Gun").

"I'm not saying that Cruise is a bad actor -- I can't judge that," he said. "But I fear that only terrible kitsch will come out of the project."

"I had hoped for a long time that the project was just a publicity stunt on the part of Cruise," Stauffenberg said. "Clearly that appears to not be the case. It's bound to be rubbish."

He is not, however, planning to take action to stop the film being made. "My father is a historical figure. ... Even if I took action against the film, there would be the danger that I would only be publicizing it."

His advice for Cruise? "He should keep his hands off my father. He should climb a mountain or go surfing in the Caribbean. I don't care what he does, so long as he keeps out of it."

However not all the family is so bothered by Cruise -- who happens to bear a passing resemblance to Claus von Stauffenberg -- taking on the role.

Grandson Caspar Graf von Stauffenberg, 41, recently told the newspaper Bild am Sonntag that he "didn't have any fundamental problem" with a new film being made about his grandfather: "After all, this medium is good for explaining history."

Stauffenberg is something of a hero in Germany for being part of a plot to kill Hitler with two suitcase bombs on July 20, 1944. The aristocratic officer was executed by the Nazis the following day for his role in the conspiracy.


The new Cruise vehicle, which will be directed by "Superman Returns" director Bryan Singer and has a scheduled release date of 2008, is by no means the first film to be made about Stauffenberg and the bomb plot. Other versions of the gripping story include Jo Baier's 2004 German movie "Stauffenberg," the 1955 German film "Es Geschah am 20. Juli" ("It Happened on July 20") and the American 1990 TV film "The Plot to Kill Hitler."

However Stauffenberg Junior was not very impressed by the other versions either. In the interview he said he was "annoyed" by historical inaccuracies in Baier's film, and described "The Plot to Kill Hitler" as "terrible, really awful."

Stauffenberg's Son on Tom Cruise Film: 'It's Bound To Be Rubbish' - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

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I wonder what "a historically accurate eye patch " looks like ? LOL I guess that makes a difference .

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

That same thought came to mind......

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i see on the news last night that this film could be delayed up till the start of
next year .. bum.a

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for thow . will be ours someday.we shall have it all
... und mear.......

I can wait till it comes out on cable LOL.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

Apparently not, not at least, in this picture.


It's the only full frontal shot of him I could find, and the site was in spanish-which I am woefully poor at understanding- so Im not sure exactly when this was taken. Funny, the only photos I could find of him were before the eye patch came along. In looking for this picture, I found a really interesting website about the assasination attempt, but its in German, and while I understand more german than spanish, it is still a woefully shameful attempt to read it. Anyway, heres the link in case your interested. [ mauerwald.com - de]

I'll see the movie, providing its ever released, but Im more excited over the Bielski Brothers movie.

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Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow"
~Elie Wiesel~

In this photo his is wearing what looks like a Reichsheer uniform, pre-national socialist. Meaning, no swastika.

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Correct it is a Reichsheer uniform. It seems that alot of the later photos of him just show him from the neck up.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

and they don't show his eye patch. I think I have only seen one. Not many photos out there.

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EDIT ROOM

PC snippers at work

"Snip that out and that."

"That has to go." Snip, snip

Hour later

"Good news Mr Cruise we got your film down to 22 minutes and 14 seconds."

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Considering Mr Cruise´s position he needs a sure hit next- not a possible flop. I think the European audience might be interested in Stauffenberg but in the USA? No very likely.

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First off Richard secondly, thanks for the laughs mate! Are you sure its 22 minutes and 14 seconds long, or is is 14 minutes and 22 seconds long? ;-))

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Anything pre-his injuries, he would not have had any award that was instituted or awarded from 1939 onwards-i.e. they did not exist before 1939.

I don't know what awards he had till 1933 or 1935, but, whatever they were, he should have been wearing them on his uniform in one form or another, as it was against regulations in not wearing your awards.

I have seen others in wartime pics not wearing their awards either-mainly higher ranking officers and Generals and such. Just why they were not worn??? maybe it could be that that when that particular picture was taken, they might have been at some private type function where they were considered "off-duty" and did not have to wear them???

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

These were the awards he recieved after 1939,

31.May.1940 Iron Cross, Ist Class
25.Oct.1941 Royal Bulgarian Order of Bravery, IVth Class
11.Dec.1942 Finnish Liberty Cross, IIIrd Class
14.Apr.1943 Wound Badge in Gold
20.Apr.1943 Italian-German Remembrance Medal
08.May.1943 German Cross in Gold

I would have thought that he would have at least worn the Iron Cross Ist Class, Wound Badge in Gold and German Cross in Gold.

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.

Carl

I aim to


Latest update, 10 minutes 2 seconds.

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Thank you JC, Richard,

JC, the Foreign awards he had I THINK would have only been worn once-ir either only at some "official" function.

Richard, Heh heh and that's probably even more correct. Stop the presses, it is now down to 8 minutes and 25 seconds! ;-))

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.