Valkyrie (film)

Valkyrie
On a white background are gray lines showing floor plans of a building. Below the lines are a group of six men wearing German army uniforms and business suits, with one prominently in front of the group. A red line traces through the floor plans and behind the front man. Beside the line is the word "VALKYRIE", and within the line in smaller print is "TOM CRUISE".
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBryan Singer
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyNewton Thomas Sigel
Edited byJohn Ottman
Music byJohn Ottman
Production
companies
Distributed byMGM Distribution Co. (United States)
20th Century Fox (Germany)
Release date
  • December 25, 2008 (2008-12-25) (United States)
Running time
121 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Germany[1]
Languages
  • English
  • German
Budget$75–90 million[2][3][4]
Box office$201.5 million[2]

Valkyrie is a 2008 thriller film[5] directed by Bryan Singer, written by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander, starring Tom Cruise. The film is set in Nazi Germany during World War II and depicts the 20 July plot in 1944 by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country. The film was released by American studio United Artists and stars Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, one of the key plotters. The supporting cast includes Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard, Terence Stamp, and Tom Wilkinson.

Cruise's casting caused controversy among German politicians and members of the von Stauffenberg family due to the actor's practice of Scientology, which is viewed with suspicion in Germany. Because of this, the filmmakers initially had difficulty setting up filming locations in Germany, but they were later given access to locations such as Berlin's historic Bendlerblock. German newspapers and filmmakers supported the film and its intention to spread global awareness of von Stauffenberg's plot.

The film changed release dates several times, from as early as June 27, 2008, to as late as February 13, 2009. The changing calendar and poor response to United Artists's initial marketing campaign drew criticism about the film's viability, and followed by a positive test screening, Valkyrie's release in North America was ultimately changed to December 25, 2008, and was opened in Germany on January 22, 2009: United Artists renewed its marketing campaign to reduce its focus on Cruise and to highlight Singer's credentials. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $201 million worldwide.

  1. ^ Dargis, Manohla (2013). "Tom Cruise's Mission Imperative: Assassinate the Führer". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 27, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference bom was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference studio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Valkyrie (2008) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  5. ^ "Cruise describes 'Valkyrie' as a thriller". United Press International.