'Valkyrie' may go to war with German film

IMDB is reporting that the historical thriller “Valkyrie,” directed by Bryan Singer (“X-Men,” “The Usual Suspects”) and starring Tom Cruise, might have competition from a German film on the same subject.

Based on true events, “Valkyrie” centers on a World War II plot by German military leaders to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The plot was code-named “Valkyrie.”

The Weinstein Co. has acquired the rights for the German film “Operation Valkyrie,” which won the German Television Award in 2004 for the best movie made for German TV, IMDB reports.

According to IMDB, the German film was originally titled “Stauffenberg,” for the name of the Nazi colonel who led the assassination plot. That’s the role Cruise plays in his version for MGM and United Artists.

“Valkyrie” made entertainment news last month when MGM and UA decided to move the film’s release date for the third time. It was originally scheduled for June 27 release, then shifted to a height-of-awards-season October date and finally pushed into a new Feb. 13, 2009, slot. (Sounds like the perfect Valentine’s Day date movie for some history-buff couples I know.)