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FIRST LOOK

First Look: Tom Cruise in Bryan Singer's Valkyrie

by Alex Billington
July 19, 2007

The recently reformed United Artists has released the first photos of Tom Cruise as Nazi Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg in Bryan Singer’s latest project, Valkyrie. The WWII film just started its principal photography over in Berlin and stars Cruise as well as Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Eddie Izzard, Thomas Kretschmann, and Terrence Stamp. Anyone interested should definitely take a look at these photos of Cruise in his uniform and direct comparison photos.

Valkyrie is the first time in 12 years that screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie and director Bryan Singer have partnered since The Usual Suspects (in 1995). The film is a suspense thriller based on the true story of the daring German officers’ plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944.

On this comparison photo, the left is the actual Claus von Stauffenberg, and on the right is Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise in Valkyrie

This second photo is of Tom Cruise in full costume as Stauffenberg.

Tom Cruise in Valkyrie

The "July 20 Plot" on Hitler's life is one of the most heroic but least known episodes of WWII. Severely wounded in combat, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg returns from Africa to join the German Resistance and help create Operation Valkyrie, the complex plan that will allow a shadow government to replace Hitler's once he is dead. But fate and circumstance conspire to thrust Stauffenberg from one of many in the plot to a double-edged central role. Not only must he lead the coup and seize control of his nation's government ... He must kill Hitler himself.

Interesting Note: IMDb has listed the actual title of the movie as Rubicon instead of Valkyrie, stating that Valkyrie was just a working title (used for filming and initial naming) and that I guess Rubicon might be the official release title we'll see next August.

Anyone who is following this should be quite excited. If this isn't proof that Tom Cruise can both look and play the part, despite his personal off-screen beliefs, than I don't know what else would. Just as they're doing with Indiana Jones IV, these early photos will just start building good buzz and interest that I know I'll certainly be following. Anyone else?

Explore tags: First Look, Hype

Heckle0

Where are the pics of Carice van Houten? No one wants to see Cruise.
annie

Yes, I beleive when Tom got criticisms, he's better than usual. Born on the fourth of July, Interview with a vampire, anyone? Ask Anne Rice! Look forwards to it.
annie

talk for yourself Heckle0, arrogant prick! I want to see Tom, actually, everyone but you want. Whiner!
vishitor

"tom cruise", makes stance: * one of cruise's first showings after saying no to corp hollywood: how appropriate for cruise to make such a statement in one of his first films; regarding the fight against crazed, wrongdoers. old corp hollywood (whose founding roots were directly involved with hitler's evil ways against them) has become what they say they hate. this film cruise has chosen is an ingenius way to state why he left the current old corp hollywood and why he fights them. right on cruise! best wishes, the vishitor thanks for having me FirstShowing
vishitor

hey: right on cruise. brilliant move! everybody check this out!!! this title—and writings--will further explain the above posts regarding just what tom cruise ran in to, with it's well maintained roots (see cruise's new film= see hollywood) ...of the current old hollywood: “The Dark Mirror” -- Mirror German Cinema between Hitler and Hollywood 1.HOLLYWOOD IN BERLIN, 1933–1939 2.BERLIN IN HOLLYWOOD, 1939–1955 a.5. Wagner at Warner's http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt5489q3vv/ best wishes, the vishitor for freedom of speech, free our arts! thanks FirstShowing for having me
http://valkyrie-trailer.blogspot.com Valkyrie

Tom Cruise is really a damned good actor
Hannah

Tom cruise is a great actor and sexy tOo xx
Hannah

Awsome movie great acting!!!!!
Kal C

Mr. Billington has made a mistake, like most people who do not know too much about the difference between the German Army (Wehrmacht) of WW2 and the Nazi Party. The majority of the German officer corps were not members of the nazi party. Rommel was an excellent example. As a matter of fact, many German officers were anti Nazi. Von Stauffenberg was NOT a Nazi member, as Mr. Billington described.The uniform that von Stauffenberg(picture) and Tom Cruise are wearing is not an SS uniform (which should be a black tunic with the double lightning insignia. The uniform that Cruise is wearing is a regular Wehrmacht (Army ) tunic.), although I am not familair with the combination of a field grey army tunic with a pair of black pants with a red stripe. If memory serves, the real von Stauffenberg lost one arms also (?) If someone wants to make a movie pertainign to the second world war, let's keep it historically accurate. Karl