Tom Cruise 'dreams of murdering Hitler'

US actor Tom Cruise says he had always dreamt of killing Adolf Hitler, revealing one of his motives for starring in his latest film featuring a plot to murder the Nazi leader.

In Valkyrie, the 46-year-old plays the role of Colonel Stauffenberg, a German officer plotting to kill Hitler during World War II.

"I've always wanted to kill Hitler. I hate that guy,'' said Cruise, who was born 17 years after Hitler's death.

"Studying Stauffenberg and his life, I came to greatly admire him... Although the story takes place during World War II, I found the story ageless,'' he told a news conference in Seoul, where he was promoting the new Hollywood film.

He described making Valkyrie as a "very powerful experience'' which he hoped his performance would communicate to the audience.

Valkyrie arrives in Asia on Thursday, opening in South Korean cinemas, director Bryan Singer said.

"We chose (South) Korea as the first Asian country to release the movie because it's an extraordinary rising market for both local and international films,'' Singer told the conference, sitting alongside Cruise.

Cruise took part in a hand-printing ceremony in front of some 500 fans in South Korea yesterday.

One of the most popular Hollywood stars here, he has visited three times before to promote Interview with the Vampire,Mission Impossible 2 and Vanilla Sky.

Valkyrie is also released in Australia on Thursday. 

HERALD SUN