"According to Newsleader, Tom Cruise is scouting for location in the Lexington area for his upcoming film with Spielberg, /www.dreamworksfansite.com/waroftheworlds/"">War of the Worlds.

People keep stopping by the Dairy Queen on U.S. 11 near Lexington just to see if the rumor is true.

You're here about Tom Cruise? employee Josh Marston asks. Yes he was here.

Marston, 17, wasn't there. He left a few moments before Cruise and Steven Spielberg strolled into the store a couple of weeks ago. But a co-worker managed to get a picture with, and an autograph from, Cruise, Marston said.

Some people want to know where Cruise sat and what he ordered, fellow employee Heather Jensen, 19, said. Others just come in ask if he was really there -- then they leave.

Cruise and Spielberg were apparently in the area to scout locations for a movie they are co-producing -- a big-budget re-make of ""War of the Worlds."" The first movie adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel was made in 1953.

Production crews have been looking at sites all around the region for ""War of the Worlds"" said Jean Clark, Rockbridge area tourism director. And they've included Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County in their search, said Sergei Troubetzkoy Staunton's tourism director.

Several Hollywood trade publications reported that the movie was originally scheduled for release in 2007 but was moved up to next summer -- in time for July 4. That has put the film on a fast-track with filming ready to start next month in New Jersey.

Cruise will play the lead. Tim Robbins and Mary Otto are negotiating to join the project, and Dakota Fanning has already signed on, Variety reported this month.

A spokeswoman from Paramount said she couldn't comment about whether filming would take place in Virginia. If the movie makers decide to use the Shenandoah Valley, filming would likely happen in December, Troubetzkoy said.

Mary Nelson, communications manager for the Virginia Film Office, said she couldn't comment about whether filming would take place here or if production crews had been in the area.

The story about Cruise and Spielberg stopping in town has slowly spread around Lexington, spurred in part by an article in one of the weekly papers there.

My friend told me Tom Cruise was here, and I was like, 'whoo, where is he?', said Denisha Romain, 21, of Lexington. She heard about his visit from a handful of people and each time the story was a little different -- once it involved Washington and Lee, the next time Stonewall Jackson.

Romain said she'd be more interested in talking to Spielberg -- if part of the movie is actually filmed here -- than Cruise because she's a big fan of the Jurassic Park movies.

Shannon Albrecht, co-owner of The Brick Bar and Grill, said she heard about it from a customer. She was a little disappointed the stars didn't stop by because the store has a running gimmick to get pictures of a brick from The Brick with famous people. If Cruise or Spielberg comes back to town, she said she'll have to try and get a picture.

Just because crews were scouting here doesn't mean the area will be used.

If it happens, it's wonderful, Clark said. If it doesn't, it's great fodder.

Visit our /www.dreamworksfansite.com/waroftheworlds/"">War of the Worlds section for more info.

Source: /www.newsleader.com/"">Newsleader

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