"Valkyrie" flies back to 2008

The release date for the World War II period film “Valkyrie,” starring Tom Cruise, has once again been moved.

Variety is reporting today that MGM has moved the film back to 2008, with a new opening date of Dec. 26.

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. This makes me wonder how long this particular release date will last, but for now, it’s apparently what we’ve got.

The trade magazine quotes unnamed “sources close to events” who say the move to a holiday release date was prompted by “purely commercial reasons” after a well-received screening of the movie.  Awards consideration was not a factor, according to these sources.

The move also could be an attempt to capitalize on Cruise’s widely praised cameo in Ben Stiller’s comedy “Tropic Thunder,” which opened today.