Germany blasts Cruise/Hitler flick, then pledges $6.5 million to get it made.

The German Federal Film Fund (DFFF) has approved subsidies worth 4.8 million euros ($6.5 million) for the film "Valkyrie." While that may anger some in Germany, the main reason for resistance from some politicians and others is that US actor Tom Cruise is expected to portray Count Claus von Stauffenberg, who was executed after a failed attempt to kill Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944. "United Artists offers us a great chance to bring this historically relevant story to a worldwide audience," Carl Woebcken, the CEO of Studio Babelsberg said in a press release, adding that studio officials considered Cruise the "ideal choice" for the movie's leading role.

To be fair, $6.5 million will probably just barely cover the catering.