Tom Cruise Banned From Making Movie In Germany

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has barred the makers of a movie about a plot to kill Adolf Hitler from filming at German military sites because its star Tom Cruise is a Scientologist, the Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Cruise, also one of the film's producers, is a member of the Church of Scientology which the German government does not recognize as a church. Berlin says it masquerades as a religion to make money, a charge Scientology leaders reject.

The U.S. actor has been cast as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, leader of the unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Nazi dictator in July 1944 with a bomb hidden in a briefcase.

Defense Ministry spokesman Harald Kammerbauer said the film makers "will not be allowed to film at German military sites if Count Stauffenberg is played by Tom Cruise, who has publicly professed to being a member of the Scientology cult".

"In general, the Bundeswehr (German military) has a special interest in the serious and authentic portrayal of the events of July 20, 1944 and Stauffenberg's person," Kammerbauer said.

Cruise's publicists could not be reached for comment.

Stauffenberg had been deeply opposed to the Nazis' treatment of the Jews and planted a briefcase bomb under a table near Hitler in his "Wolf's Lair" headquarters on July 20, 1944. The bomb went off but only wounded the Fuehrer.

The film, slated for a 2008 release and to be directed by Bryan Singer and co-starring Kenneth Branagh, is called "Valkyrie" after Operation Valkyrie, the plot's codename.

The main site of interest would be the "Bendlerblock" memorial inside the Defense Ministry complex in Berlin. This is where Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators hatched the plot and where he and his closest comrades were executed when it failed.

Kammerbauer said the ministry had not yet received official filming requests from the producers of "Valkyrie".

http://www.reuters.com/article/enter...rpc=22&sp=true

LOL im not really sure whats funnier here, the fact that old Wacko Cruise is still a scientologist, or the fact that Germany has banned them from making the movie haha

Regards,

Lee

Germany with their history ...

declaring that something isn't a "legitamate religion". THAT's what's funny.

Yes, slowly, sometimes painfully slow, we are on a way to become a true secular country. Religion is a private matter and if Mr. Cruise would keep his beliefs for himself all would be fine. But using his popularity to gather more 'sheep' for his questionable community is not right and shouldn't be supported.

And if you read the article carefully than you will note that he is not banned from making a movie in Germany at all. He can film his movie where ever he likes in Germany, just not on sites that are owned by the government or the military.

Any religion that wasn't mine would be considered questionable in my opinion. I'm certain most religious people feel this way to some degree.

we in germany don't realy think, scientology is a religion but a totalitarian money making institution. that's why we don't like them and we don't want to support that. tom curise can shoot any film in germany, but the german goverment does not want him to shoot in the building of the department of defense because they don't want totalitarian institutions there. that's the reason. i am not sure, if the church of scientology is a offical church in germany.