John Travolta will make his directorial debut at the Cannes Film Festival next year, with Propeller One-Way Night Coach set for its world premiere in the Cannes Premiere selection, festival organizers announced Thursday. The Apple Original Films production is adapted from a 1997 book Travolta wrote and illustrated, a childhood-inspired tale that channels the actor’s long-running passion for aviation.
Cannes said the premiere will be screened at the Debussy Theatre in Travolta’s presence and will precede the film’s global debut on Apple TV on May 29, 2026. The festival did not immediately specify the exact date of the screening, but positioned the world premiere as a marquee event in the festival’s calendar ahead of the streaming release. The 79th Cannes Film Festival opens May 12 with Pierre Salvadori’s La Vénus électrique.
Propeller One-Way Night Coach follows Jeff, a young airplane enthusiast, and his mother as they embark on a one-way cross-country odyssey to Hollywood. The journey — rendered through airline meals, unexpected stopovers, charismatic flight attendants and encounters with larger-than-life passengers — is framed as a transformative trip that shapes the boy’s future. The film stars newcomer Clark Shotwell as Jeff, with Kelly Eviston‑Quinnett as his mother; Travolta’s daughter Ella Bleu Travolta and Olga Hoffmann appear as flight attendants.
Produced by Travolta’s JTP Films in partnership with Kids at Play, the movie lists Travolta as a producer alongside Jason Berger and Amy Laslett. Apple Original Films is behind the project’s distribution, making the Cannes premiere an early high-profile outing before the Apple TV+ launch at the end of May.
The project traces back to the 1997 picture book Travolta assembled for his son, a personal project that the actor has long cited as rooted in his fascination with flight. Cannes highlighted Travolta’s deep aviation background in the announcement: the 72-year-old performer is certified to fly Boeing 707, 737 and 747 aircraft, as well as Bombardier’s Global Express, and was reportedly the first private pilot to fly an Airbus A380. The festival noted he has logged more than 9,000 flight hours and has owned several aircraft.
Travolta has a long history with Cannes, having brought Pulp Fiction (1994) and She’s So Lovely (1997) into competition in earlier years and screening Primary Colors (1998) out of competition. Propeller One-Way Night Coach represents a new chapter for the actor, moving from star to filmmaker on an autobiographical, family-oriented story that melds his Hollywood career with his enduring love of aviation. The Cannes premiere will be watched closely as the film’s first public appraisal ahead of its streaming rollout.