GERMANY CONFIRMS CRUISE FILM CAN NOT SHOOT AT HISTORICAL SITE - BUT NOTHING TO DO WITH SCIENTOLOGY (REU)

By Nancy Vialatte

After a series of back-and-forth reports over the past week, it�s finally official: Bryan Singer�s Tom Cruise vehicle �Valkyrie� will not be allowed to use the Bendlerblock historical site for filming. The German Finance Ministry, which oversees the properties and has the final word on such matters, said the filmmakers were welcome to film in Germany, just not at the memorial next to the Defense Ministry in Berlin. "They will not be permitted to film at the Bendlerblock but this has nothing to do with (Scientology)," said Finance Ministry spokesman Stefan Olbermann.

"We welcome the fact that such a film is being made," Olbermann said. But, he added, "We don't think it would be appropriate to film there." He also noted that the ministry was still considering the filmmakers' requests to shoot at other sites in Germany.

Over the past week, conflicting reports were coming out of Germany regarding Singer�s film which is backed by Cruise�s revived United Artists and tells the story of a failed plot to kill Adolf Hitler. Cruise is set to play the hero, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg with Kenneth Branagh co-starring.

Last week, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung had made it clear the filmmakers could not shoot at any military sites because of Cruise�s link to Scientology. Berlin regards Scientology as a cult masquerading as a religion to make money.

But, later, the Berlin studio handling the filming at locations in Germany dismissed the ban, saying it had all the necessary location permits, including one for the Bendlerblock.

Only one other filmmaker has been allowed to film at the Bendlerblock. According to Olbermann, that experience led the Finance Ministry to bar all film shoots at the site.