John Travolta’s Directorial Debut To Play At The Cannes Film Festival; Under-The-Radar Film Is Backed By Apple

John Travolta‘s directorial debut will have its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in May, before launching on Apple TV on May 29.

The under-the-radar Apple Original Films project, called Propeller One-Way Night Coach, is inspired by the 1997 kids book of the same name that Travolta wrote for his son.

Travolta has been passionate about aviation since childhood and is a seasoned pilot. The mid-length film, whose cast includes his daughter Ella Bleu Travolta, charts a nostalgic journey set in the golden age of aviation: “Young airplane enthusiast Jeff (played by newcomer Clark Shotwell) and his mother (Kelly Eviston-Quinnett) set off on a one-way cross country odyssey to Hollywood, which transforms a simple flight into the trip of a lifetime. Between airline meals, charming flight attendants (played by Ella Bleu Travolta and Olga Hoffmann), unexpected stopovers, larger-than-life passengers, and a thrilling glimpse at first class, the journey unfolds in moments both magical and unexpected, charting the course for the boy’s future.”

The film will play in the festival’s Premiere Selection in the Debussy Theater at the Palais des Festivals, with Travolta in attendance. Above is a first-look image.

Pic is a production of John Travolta’s JTP Films Inc, and Kids At Play. Producers are John Travolta of JTP Productions, in addition to Jason Berger and Amy Laslett of Kids at Play.

Saturday Night Fever and Grease star Travolta has previously had three films play at Cannes: Pulp Fiction (1994) and She’s So Lovely (1997) in Competition, and Primary Colors (1998) Out of Competition.

The 72-year-old actor began flying at 15 and is now certified to fly Boeing 707s, 737s, and 747s. He is the first private pilot to fly an Airbus A380 and even flew planes in two movies: Look Who’s Talking (1989) and Broken Arrow (1996).