For the second time, Operation: Valkyrie is facing adversity in Germany. The first time, the operation was a military operation attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler using a briefcast bomb. This time, the operation is the film Valkyrie, based on that military operation, and features Tom Cruise and Kenneth Branagh, with Bryan Singer directing. The movie was slated to begin filming in Berlin next month, but now the German government is saying that’s not going to happen.

So, does Germany oppose a movie depicting the assassination of Hitler? No. They’ve done that themselves in the excellent drama Downfall. Does Germany want revenge on Bryan Singer for abandoning the X-Men franchise? No, although there are plenty of people who do want that. The major obstacle getting in the way for Valkyrie is that wacky Tom Cruise again, and his Scientology beliefs.

See, Germany has a Teutonic governmental body, which not only refuses to accept Scientology as a religion, but views it as an exploitive, profit-based business. That means major figureheads for the L. Ron Hubbard created sensation, such as Tom Cruise, aren’t viewed very positively by the German government. This is a case where Cruise’s outspoken mannerisms are definitely working against him. It probably doesn’t help that, thanks to his Scientology beliefs, he announced psychiatry as “a Nazi science” just a few years ago.

This isn’t the first time Cruise has been denied the right to film in Germany, so you’d think he’d be prepared for it and not even try to take Valkyrie there. Cruise was refused the chance to film in Reichstag for Mission: Impossible III, although the area is supposed to be shut off to all filming, so it wasn’t just Cruise’s beliefs that stood in the way. It was the Scientology factor that caused a boycott of the Mission: Impossible trilogy in Germany however.

Cruise’s people don’t seem very concerned despite being given a firm no. His United Artists producing partner Paula Allen made a statement pointing out that, “Aside from his obvious admiration of the man he is portraying, Mr. Cruise's personal beliefs have absolutely no bearing on the movie's plot, themes or content… and even though we could shoot the movie anywhere in the world, we believe Germany is the only place we can truly do the story justice.” Another UA spokesperson made it sound as if filming was definitely moving ahead in Germany. And although Allen is right and Cruise’s beliefs may not have anything to do with the movie’s plot or themes, it does affect the filming environment and the PR for the movie, especially when he insists on having Scientology counseling available on set, like he did with War of the Worlds.

So, Scientology vs. the government of Germany. Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen, because it’s apparently this won’t be over quickly. Even worse, it means another round of Tom Cruise out there in the public eye discussing his personal convictions and calling people glib. Just when we thought he was finally leaving the country…