No ban on Tom Cruise filming 'Valkyrie' at military sites

Tom Cruise is welcome to shoot his World War II film ‘Valkyrie’ at government locations in Germany, say officials.

Reports had earlier said that the Scientology wary country had banned Cruise from filming the thriller at German military sites due to his religion.

However, now reports say that the only problem to Cruise shooting at the primary location - Bendlerblock- was not his affiliation to Scientology, but the fact that the building also houses part of the German Ministry of Defense.

‘Valkyrie’ is about Count Claus Schenk Von Stauffenberg, the Second World War hero, who led the Operation Valkyrie assassination plot that tried to kill Adolf Hitler in 1944.

Stauffenberg planted a bomb in a briefcase near Hitler at his military headquarters in Rastenburg on July 20, 1944, but while the bomb exploded and killed several officers, Hitler himself narrowly escaped death, thanks to a large oak table in the room that saved him.

Stauffenberg was caught and executed that night at Bendlerblock, as were 7,000 other sympathizers.

Dirk Kuehnau, head of the Bundesanstalt fuer Immobilienaufgaben (BIMA), the company in charge of government buildings, insisted that director Bryan Singer and the cast would be welcome to film at the site once they have acquired the right permit.

"In this country, we have constitutionally guaranteed rights. Articles four and five of the constitution protect freedom of faith and creed and freedom of expression. I don't think those rights would be denied a film actor," Variety quoted Kuehnau, as saying.

He adding that getting a permit should be no problem as long as filming does not interfere with government business.

Cruise talked up the project at length at Cinema Expo in Amsterdam.

"It is a very powerful film in a very crucial moment in history about the resistance in Germany against the Nazi regime. This man had incredible integrity ... a real hero. I have great admiration for him and what they tried to do," Cruise said.

Apart from acting in the movie, Cruise will also be producing it through his United Artists banner, that he floated along with partner Paula Wagner.

The film is scheduled to begin shooting in July.