Written by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander, and directed by Bryan Singer, the as-yet-untitled project is based on an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the height of the war.

Cruise was initially involved as a producer through his company United Artists (UA), however Bryan Singer decided Cruise would be perfect for the central role, and offered it to Cruise who accepted yesterday (March 20).

“After reading the script, Tom and I knew immediately that this was a film that we had to make,” UA chief executive Paula Wagner said.

“As an added bonus, because of Bryan Singer’s involvement and Tom’s admiration for him as a filmmaker, as well as the excellence of the script, the project attracted Tom as an actor. I cannot think of a more perfect combination of creative elements for our second production” handbag.com report.

Production is due to begin this summer.

PS: Remember when Tom Cruise used to be hot?