After a half-century in front of the camera, John Travolta is stepping behind it for a project that folds together two of his most enduring fascinations: movies and aviation. Apple Original Films has unveiled the official trailer and key art for “Propeller One-Way Night Coach,” Travolta’s feature directorial debut, which premieres globally on Apple TV on May 29 after its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
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Written, directed, narrated, and produced by Travolta, the film is based on the children’s book he wrote in 1997 and draws from his long-running love of flight. Set during the golden age of aviation, the story follows Jeff, a young airplane enthusiast played by newcomer Clark Shotwell, and his mother, played by Kelly Eviston-Quinnett, as they set off on a one-way cross-country trip to Hollywood.
What begins as a simple flight becomes a formative journey for Jeff, with airline meals, unexpected stopovers, larger-than-life passengers, and a glimpse of first class turning the trip into something closer to a childhood memory taking shape in real time. The film is being positioned as an all-ages fable, one that charts how a boy’s first encounter with air travel points him toward his future.
The cast also includes Ella Bleu Travolta and Olga Hoffmann as flight attendants, adding a family dimension to the film. Travolta, a licensed pilot whose passion for aviation has long been part of his public life, has spoken of the story as a personal one, rooted in the wonder of mid-century air travel and the sense of possibility it engendered.
“Propeller One-Way Night Coach” is produced by Travolta through JTP Productions, alongside Jason Berger and Amy Laslett of Kids At Play. For Apple, the Cannes launch gives the film a prestige runway before its late-May streaming debut, while for Travolta, it marks a new chapter built around a story he has carried for decades.
“Propeller One-Way Night Coach” premieres globally on Apple TV on May 29. Watch the trailer below.
