It seems a day hasn’t passed this week without major Tom Cruise career news. On August 14, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures has finally announced when they will release Cruise’s latest film, Valkyrie: Friday, December 26, 2008.

"We saw and tested the movie," said Clark Woods, President of MGM Distribution. "and we believe a strong movie deserves a strong playdate."

The film is based on the true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) and the daring plot to eliminate Adolph Hitler. Director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men, Superman Returns) re-teams with Academy Award-winning Usual Suspects screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie on the film, which also stars Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Eddie Izzard, Christian Berkel and Terence Stamp. The film was shot in Germany at various locations where many of the actual events occurred, including the historic Bendlerblock building, where von Stauffenberg was executed.

A proud military man, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg is a loyal officer who serves his country while hoping that someone will find a way to stop Hitler before Europe and Germany are destroyed. Realizing that time is running out, he decides that he must take action himself and joins the German resistance. Armed with a cunning strategy to use Hitler's own emergency plan — known as Operation Valkyrie — these men plot to assassinate the dictator and over-throw his Nazi government from the inside.

And in a wee bit more Cruise news, Cruise’s business partner, Paula Wagner, is stepping down as CEO of United Artists, the company she and Cruise, along with MGM, took over about two years ago. It’s been rumored that Cruise will leave the company as well, to concentrate on his acting career, which has been heating up over the past week. As a result of these rumors, Harry E. Sloan, Chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. made the following official statement:

"After reading erroneous reports about Tom Cruise and United Artists, I would like to clarify that we are honored that he will continue as our full partner in control of UA. He is in the middle of one of the greatest careers our industry has ever seen and one that will continue at the top of United Artists Entertainment.”