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*[http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/valkyrie.html?showVideo=1 Official trailer and production photographs]
*[http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/valkyrie.html?showVideo=1 Official trailer and production photographs]
*[http://www.apple.com/trailers/mgm/valkyrie/featurette/ Behind-the-scenes featurette]
*[http://www.apple.com/trailers/mgm/valkyrie/featurette/ Behind-the-scenes featurette]
*[http://www.tomcruise.com/tom-cruise-valkyrie-movie.html ''Valkyrie''] at TomCruise.com



{{Bryan Singer}}
{{Bryan Singer}}

Revision as of 19:14, 8 October 2008

Template:Future film

Valkyrie
Theatrical poster
Directed byBryan Singer
Written byChristopher McQuarrie
Nathan Alexander
Produced byChristopher McQuarrie
Bryan Singer
Gilbert Adler
Chris Lee
StarringTom Cruise
Christian Berkel
Kenneth Branagh
Kevin McNally
Carice van Houten
Bill Nighy
David Schofield
Terence Stamp
CinematographyNewton Thomas Sigel
Edited byJohn Ottman
Music byJohn Ottman
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
United Artists
Release date
December 26, 2008
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$100 million (reported)

Valkyrie is a 2008 historical thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and starring Tom Cruise. The film is based on the July 20 plot of German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Cruise will portray the leader of the plot, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Cruise's casting caused controversy among German politicians and members of Stauffenberg's family due to the actor's practice of Scientology, though German newspapers and filmmakers gave support to the film to spread global awareness of von Stauffenberg's attempted plot. The filmmakers of Valkyrie initially had difficulty setting up filming locations in Germany, but they were later given leeway to film in locations pertaining to the film's story, such as Berlin's historic Bendlerblock. The release date for Valkyrie has changed numerous times, including a brief move to February 14, 2009. After several positive test screenings, the film's release was moved up to December 26, 2008.

Premise

During World War II, German Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) is severely wounded in Africa and returns home to Nazi Germany. Stauffenberg helps conceive Operation Valkyrie, a plan approved by Adolf Hitler which, in order to manage turmoil within Germany, would implement a shadow government in the event of the Nazi Führer's death. The Colonel eventually joins the German Resistance and becomes part of the July 20 plot, a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler and execute Valkyrie in order to take control of the country and make peace with the Allies. Stauffenberg finds himself taking on not only the responsibility of leading the coup, but also the task to assassinate Hitler himself.[1]

Cast

File:Valkyriecast.jpg
Cast (left to right): Kevin McNally, Christian Berkel, Bill Nighy, Tom Cruise, Terrence Stamp, David Schofield and Kenneth Brannagh

Others:

Stephen Fry,[13] Ian McNeice,[14] and Tom Hollander[14] will appear in the film. Patrick Wilson was originally cast in Valkyrie, but he dropped out due to scheduling conflicts and other unspecified reasons.[15] Some of the non-German actors initially experimented with German accents, but Singer discarded the idea, instead instructing them to adopt neutral accents that "[wouldn't] distract from the story".[3]

Production

Development

German World War II colonel Stauffenberg (left) and actor Tom Cruise (right). Cruise was attracted to the role based on the resemblance of his profile to the colonel's.

After director Bryan Singer completed the three major productions X-Men (2000), X2 (2003) and Superman Returns (2006), he sought a smaller project before embarking upon the (eventually aborted) Superman sequel.[3][16] In late 2006, screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie presented to Singer a story that took place in World War II. In the following months, the two collaborated on the project, an original thriller that would be a multi-character ensemble piece. In March 2007, the duo brought the project directly to United Artists partners Paula Wagner and Tom Cruise, who immediately agreed to finance the film.[17] The script is based on the actual events of German generals plotting to assassinate Adolf Hitler during World War II. Singer invited Tom Cruise to take the lead role, which Cruise accepted.[18] Cruise had been provided a picture of Stauffenberg, in which the actor noticed a similarity in his profile with the German colonel, drawing him to the role.[19]

The producers of Valkyrie expressed interest in filming at Bendlerblock, a memorialized location where Stauffenberg and his comrades had plotted to assassinate Hitler.[20] Germany's Finance Ministry had originally denied the producers the right to film at Bendlerblock, explaining that the site should be treated as a "place of remembrance and mourning" which would "lose dignity if we were to exploit it as a film set". The producers were also denied a request to film at a Berlin police station by the department, citing adverse impact to the facility.[21] The German government eventually had a change of heart concerning the Bendlerblock site and gave permission for filmmakers to shoot there.[22] A United Artists spokesman said that they were "very grateful" for the decision, saying that the site "[had] always been important to us symbolically, creatively and for the sake of historical authenticity" and that the company had been in continuous talks with the German government in order to clear up any misconceptions about the nature of the film.[23]

Filming

Production began on July 18 2007 in Berlin.[24] The German Federal Film Fund issued €4.8 million[25] (US$6.64 million) to United Artists to assist with production, adding to an initial total of a US$80 million production budget, two-thirds of which were spent in Germany.[26] The filmmakers received permission to film at Tempelhof International Airport's Columbia Haus, a former Nazi jail for political prisoners. Production also involved World War II planes with swastikas painted on the sides, practicing in the airspace above Brandenburg.[27] Around 70 sets were built for the film.[3] A replica set of Hitler's Eastern front headquarters Wolf's Lair was constructed 60 kilometers south of Berlin, though the headquarters' actual location was in modern-day Poland.[27] Filming also took place in some of the houses which were used to hide the bombs in 1944.[28] The production made use of surviving Nazi relics, including furniture used by the Reich Ministry and objects that once adorned Hitler's desk.[3] Nazi symbols, the display of which is usually illegal in Germany, were also used at several locations, and while the filmmakers gave forewarnings to local residents,[24] a passerby witnessing the use of swastikas during filming in Berlin filed an official complaint with the city. Similar charges have also been filed against the owners of sites set up to show Nazi displays for the film's production.[29] Filming has also taken place at Babelsberg Studios in Potsdam.[30] During filming on August 19 2007, eleven people were hurt when the side panel of a truck they were riding broke, with one person requiring hospitalization.[31] They demanded $11 million in compensation.[32]

Before filming the scene of Stauffenberg's execution at Bendlerblock, Tom Cruise led the cast and crew in holding a moment of silence,[33] "out of respect for the place and out of respect for the life achievement of these people who were executed there," according to actor Christian Berkel.[34] After filming of the scene was completed, the footage was sent to be developed for the post-production process at a processing plant in Germany. The wrong chemical was accidentally used in development, damaging the film and requiring the crew to seek permission from the government to re-shoot the scenes. Permission was granted and a spokesman for the film indicated the schedule and budget had not been affected.[35][36]

After the production was unable to find a suitable location for the key battle sequence at the beginning of the film set in North Africa, in which von Stauffenberg loses his eye and hand, production was halted while locations were scouted.[37] In April 2008, Singer was reported to film the desert sequences in the coming two months, possibly in the United States.[38] In the following June, production took place in Victor Valley, California.[39] The overall cost of production was not revealed by the studio, but it reportedly cost $100 million.[38]

Post-production

The film's visual effects are being created by Sony Pictures Imageworks.[40] In the post-production process, editor and composer John Ottman edited the film without a temp track. Ottman originally planned to compose a minimal score to Valkyrie, but found that despite the film's dialogue-heavy nature, the film needed music to create a thriller atmosphere. Ottman described the new approach, "It's very much like Usual Suspects – in order to keep the tension going in a scene where there's really a lot of dialogue, we had to rely on a lot of score. But the score is done in a very sort of pulsating, subliminal way. It's not an expository score, it's more like a running pulse going through the movie."[41]

German response

Stauffenberg played an important role in the military resistance against the Nazi regime and in the [German military's] self-perception [...] A sincere and respectable depiction of the events of the 20th of July and of Stauffenberg is therefore very much in Germany's interest. Tom Cruise, with his Scientology background, is not the right person for this.

—German Defense Ministry Spokesperson Harald Kammerbauer, June 2007.[29]

In June 2007, prior to production, a German Defense Ministry spokesperson said that filming of Valkyrie would not be allowed at the country's military sites if protagonist Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg was portrayed by Tom Cruise, due to the actor's adherence to Scientology, which has been labeled a dangerous cult by the German authorities. The spokesperson further indicated that the ministry had not at that time received official filming requests from Valkyrie's producers.[20] Colonel von Stauffenberg's son also voiced concerns over Cruise's portrayal of his father, saying that he would not oppose the film's production, but hoped that Cruise would drop the role. "I fear that only terrible kitsch will come out of the project. It's bound to be rubbish," Berthold Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg said. "Cruise should keep his hands off my father."[42] Later in the month, the ministry reversed its stance and welcomed production of Valkyrie. The initial controversy reportedly stemmed from German member of parliament Antje Blumenthal, an authority on cults for the conservative Christian Democratic Union and well-known opponent of Scientology, who had claimed that the German Defense Minister had assured her that the film would not be shot in the country.[43] In addition, Cruise was attacked by junior politicians such as Rudolf Köberle, the state secretary for interior issues in the state of Baden-Württemberg, who also cited Cruise's affiliation with Scientology.[6] Thomas Gandow, a spokesperson for the German Protestant Church, said Cruise's involvement in the film would "have the same propaganda advantages for Scientology as the 1936 Olympics had for the Nazis" and compared the actor to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels.[44]

Some of the family have spoken out because they don't think it will do the story justice and others don't think the casting is ideal, but I totally disagree, especially after I met Tom and saw how he is approaching the role with such professionalism. I think most of the family are curious to see the finished film.

—Philipp von Schulthess, grandson of Colonel von Stauffenberg, September 2007.[45]

The film subsequently found some local support in Germany. Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck considered Cruise's involvement would promote awareness of a neglected story,[21] and veteran German actor Armin Mueller-Stahl also gave his support to the production.[27] A grandson of Colonel von Stauffenberg, who is appearing in the film as an assistant, hailed Cruise's professionalism and indicated that most of his family were curious to see the finished product.[45] In September 2007, when the Defense Ministry initially denied permission for filming at the Bendlerblock memorial, support for the film came in from German newspaper columnists and filmmakers, including director Wolfgang Petersen[22] and Frank Schirrmacher, journalist and co-publisher of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Schirrmacher visited the set and agreed that the film would advance global awareness of the German Resistance. Ultimately granting access to the Bendlerblock after reviewing the script, the Defense Ministry said it showed that "barbarism didn't triumph but led to the founding of a democratic Germany". Ursula Caberta, who is in charge of a German government office which monitors Scientology, was disappointed in the ministry's decision, saying, "Tom Cruise [is] a figurehead of an anti-constitutional organization, and he should be treated that way."[29]

A spokesperson for Scientology in Berlin, Sabine Weber, said in August 2007 that she was "shocked" by German politicians' criticisms, adding that it was a "call to discrimination" against someone based on their religious beliefs.[46] In the same month, Cruise suggested to his critics that they see the film before denouncing it.[47] In October 2007, fellow Valkyrie actor Kenneth Branagh said that the issue had been "largely exaggerated" and that the German official who initially incited the complaints contacted the production one week into filming to apologize, after reading the script and realizing he had misinterpreted the film's plot.[28]

In November 2007, the head of the German Resistance Memorial Center warned against any potential "myth formation" around von Stauffenberg as a result of the film, urging that any understanding of the Colonel must also be informed by the fact that he had been loyal to the Nazi cause for most of his military career.[48] In the same month Cruise was given a Bambi courage award, presented by German media company Hubert Burda Media, "for tackling a story that had never been covered by Hollywood before".[49]

Release

Valkyrie was originally slated to be released in August 8, 2008,[50] but the film was moved up earlier to be released in June 27, 2008.[51] The release date was again moved, to October 3, 2008 to avoid competition from WALL-E and the delayed Wanted,[52] and to enable the filming of a key battle sequence, after the production was unable to find a suitable location for the scenes.[37] The date was also chosen to increase the film's chances of awards success.[53] In April 2008, the release date was pushed back to February 13, 2009, with the studio citing the early fall schedule as too crowded with Academy Award prospects.[38] Valkyrie will instead take advantage of the lucrative President's Day weekend, after The Wolf Man and The Pink Panther 2 were moved from this date.[54] By August 2008, the release date was changed to December 26, 2008 with reports citing commercial reasons for the move after a successful test screening.[55]

The theatrical trailer for Valkyrie has received "mixed buzz" over Tom Cruise portraying Stauffenberg with an American accent.[56] The attempted resurgence of the studio United Artists under producers Cruise and Paula Wagner placed pressure on Valkyrie to perform well following the poor box office debut of Lions for Lambs and the canceled production of Pinkville.[57] Wagner later left her position with the studio during post-production of Valkyrie.[58] The postponed release of Valkyrie drew criticism about the viability of United Artists, and the studio aimed to combat the criticism leading up to the film's eventual release.[38] Actor Bill Nighy, a German general in the film, disagreed with criticism affecting the film's release, ascribing the postponement to shooting extra scenes set in North Africa, where Stauffenberg had lost his eye.[59] In July 2008, United Artists president of worldwide marketing Dennis Rice was replaced by Michael Vollman, who was tasked to develop a marketing strategy for the "troubled" Valkyrie,[60] which had been "battered by constant media sniping".[61]

References

  1. ^ United Artists (2007-07-19). "Valkyrie Begins Principal Photography in Berlin". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
  2. ^ Ruben V. Nepales (2007-08-31). "In Berlin with Tom Cruise, on the set of 'Valkyrie'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  3. ^ a b c d e "The Winter Preview". Total Film (146). Future Publishing: 61–64. 2008. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e f "On a mission to kill Hitler, Tom Cruise and his conspirators". Daily Mail. 2007-09-05. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
  5. ^ Tatiana Siegel (2007-06-19). "Van Houten joins Cruise for 'Valkyrie'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2007-07-07. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b "Plotter's Grandson Cast in Hitler Movie with Tom Cruise". Deutsche Welle. 2007-07-21. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
  7. ^ "Valkyrie (2008)". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  8. ^ "We knew the VALKYRIE, but what of the rest?". Ain't It Cool News. 2007-06-19. Retrieved 2007-06-19.
  9. ^ "Sie gab Tom Cruise einen Korb". Bild.de (in German). 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
  10. ^ "Valkyrie: Die Besetzung". Berliner Morgenpost (in German). 2007-08-21. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
  11. ^ "Agentur Breilmann". Agentur Breilmann (in German). Retrieved 2007-10-14.
  12. ^ "Von der Komödie zum Kinofilm". RP Online (in German). 2007-08-17. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  13. ^ "Germany Bans Valkyrie Filming Due to Scientology". ComingSoon.net. 2007-06-25. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
  14. ^ a b "How Tom Cruise found his Nazi lookalike in Valkyrie". The Daily Telegraph. 2007-09-21. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  15. ^ Max Evry (2007-06-22). "Exclusive: Patrick Wilson on Evening". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  16. ^ Scott Chitwood (2006-07-22). "Exclusive: Singer on Superman Sequel & DVD". Superhero Hype!. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
  17. ^ Michael Fleming (2007-03-13). "United Artists grabs Singer thriller". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  18. ^ Michael Fleming (2007-03-20). "Cruise set for Singer's WWII film". Variety. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  19. ^ Karen Nickel Anhalt (2007-08-30). "Tom Cruise Breaks Silence Over German Film". People. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
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  21. ^ a b Ed Meza (2007-07-03). "Tom Cruise pic verboten in Berlin". Variety. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  22. ^ a b Erik Kirschbaum (2007-09-14). "'Valkyrie' allowed into Bendlerblock". Variety. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  23. ^ Brian Parkin (2007-09-17). "Germany allows Cruise to film at historical site". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
  24. ^ a b Gina Piccalo (2007-07-20). "Tom Cruise battles Hitler". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-08-18.
  25. ^ Tobias Kniebe (2007-07-24). "Schluss mit "Stupid German Money"". Süddeutsche Zeitung. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  26. ^ Ed Metzger (2007-07-05). "German gov offers cash for 'Valkyrie'". Variety. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  27. ^ a b c "Cruise Gets Green Light to Film at Tempelhof Airport". Der Spiegel. 2007-07-18. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
  28. ^ a b "German official apologises for trying to ban Cruise". World Entertainment News Network. 2007-10-09.
  29. ^ a b c Andrew Purvis (2007-09-17). "Cruise Film Gets German OK". Time. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  30. ^ Harry de Quetteville (2007-07-23). "Hitler plot film sees Nazi studio rise again". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
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  32. ^ Kevin Reynolds (2008-08-29). "'Valkyrie' extras ignore settlement offer". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  33. ^ "Tom Cruise Marks Disputed Filming With Moment of Silence". Deutsche Welle. 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  34. ^ "Tom Cruise Pays Respects to Anti-Hitler Heroes". Lifetime Television. 2007-09-23. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  35. ^ "Cruise's Valkyrie suffers new setback". guardian.co.uk. 2007-10-09. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  36. ^ "Technical setback for Cruise film". BBC News Online. 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  37. ^ a b Josh Grossberg (2007-12-18). "Cruise's Valkyrie Grounded". E! News. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  38. ^ a b c d Michael Cieply (2008-04-23). "The Nazi Plot That's Haunting Tom Cruise and United Artists". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
  39. ^ Edwards, Brooke (2008-06-26). "Tom Cruise films World War II drama in Victor Valley". Victorville Daily Press. Freedom Communications, Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
  40. ^ Carolyn Giardina (2008-07-01). "G-Force' is with Imageworks". The Hollywood Reporter. The Nielsen Company. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  41. ^ Cassidy, Kevin (2008-07-31). "Frustrated music lovers have a score to settle". The Hollywood Reporter. Reuters. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
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  43. ^ Scott Roxborough (2007-06-29). "Germany OK with 'Valkyrie' filming". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
  44. ^ Jeannette Wells (2007-07-24). "Tom Cruise — 'the Goebbels of Scientology'?". msnbc.com. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  45. ^ a b John Hiscock (2007-09-21). "How Tom Cruise found his Nazi lookalike in Valkyrie". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  46. ^ David Rising (2007-08-28). "Risky business? Cruise cast as German war hero". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  47. ^ "'I Bear a Great Responsibility to Stauffenberg'". Der Spiegel. 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  48. ^ "The 'Myth' of the Would-Be Hitler Assassin". Der Spiegel. 2007-11-16. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
  49. ^ "Cruise wins German courage prize". BBC News Online. 2007-11-30. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
  50. ^ "Valkyrie Targets 8-8-08". ComingSoon.net. 2007-07-17. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
  51. ^ "Valkyrie Allowed Into Bendlerblock After All". ComingSoon.net. 2007-09-14. Retrieved 2007-09-19.
  52. ^ "Valkyrie Scrubs Mission Against WALL•E, Wanted". ComingSoon.net. 2007-12-15. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  53. ^ Pamela McClintock (2008-03-31). "2008 awards season shaping up". Variety. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  54. ^ Carl DiOrio (2008-04-07). "MGM delays 'Valkyrie' release again". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
  55. ^ "'Valkyrie' cruises back to '08 slate". Variety. Reed Business Information. 2008-08-13. Retrieved 2008-08-13. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  56. ^ Merissa Marr (2008-03-28). "Mission Possible: Redstone, Cruise Re-Establish Ties". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-05-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  57. ^ Associated Press (2007-11-26). "Mission possible: Reviving movie studio". Newsweek. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  58. ^ Michael Fleming (2008-08-13). "Paula Wagner leaves UA". Variety. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
  59. ^ Adler, Shawn (2008-07-30). "Tom Cruise's Much-Delayed 'Valkyrie' Isn't A Dud, Co-Star Bill Nighy Insists". MTV. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  60. ^ "Business Briefing". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. 2008-07-17. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  61. ^ "Meet Tom Cruise's new best friend". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. 2008-07-16. Retrieved 2008-08-06.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Valkyrie_(film)&oldid=243961772"