John Travolta says channelled film greats in low-thrust plane movie
Speaking at Cannes on Sunday, Hollywood legend John Travolta revealed that he sought inspiration from "cinema’s greatest filmmakers" for his directorial debut, Propeller One-Way Night Coach. The aviation-themed film, which adapts Travolta’s own 1997 novella, has divided critics at its world premiere, earning a spectrum of reviews that range from "eccentric charm" to "narrative turbulence."
- Cinema
- AFP
- Published Date: 09:35 | 17 May 2026
Superstar John Travolta said Sunday he had channelled some of cinema's greatest filmmakers into his plane-themed directorial debut which has premiered to mixed reviews.
"Propeller One-Way Night Coach", which will appear on Apple TV at the end of May, is a loosely autobiographical tale about Travolta's first flight as an eight-year old with his mother.
"It's an homage to many filmmakers," the 72-year-old plane lover told reporters on Sunday in Cannes.
"You do see Truffaut in this. You do see Lelouch. You do see Fellini. You do see Bergman," he added, name-checking some of Europe's 20th-century masters.
Critics appear to differ, with some praising the only 61-minute movie as a "slim and winning boyhood reverie of air travel (Variety), as "weird and endearing" (The Hollywood Reporter) or a "sweet, odd diversion" (The Guardian).
But a critic at The Wire savaged it as "a disaster that leaves no survivors" while the BBC called it a "dud" that "shows why great actors can be bad directors."
Travolta cast his daughter Ella Bleu as an air hostess, while using other family members in key roles.
"I'm braggadocious, but her (Ella Bleu's) presence in this movie... it's a star is born. It's just magnificent," he told reporters.
Travolta, who starred in "Pulp Fiction" which won top prize in Cannes in 1994, appeared visibly emotional as he received a surprise life-time award at his film's premiere on Friday.