John Travolta Directs Lookalike Daughter in New Film—and Fans Are Doing a Double Take

Actor John Travolta, 72, will launch his directorial debut “Propeller One-Way Night Coach” at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival. The global premiere will be a bit of a family affair, too, as Travolta’s lookalike daughter Ella Bleu Travolta, 26, has a role in the upcoming film.

John Travolta has been starring in movies for more than five decades—his first big-screen role was as Billy Nolan in the 1976 horror filmCarrie. He’s also a dad, an aviation enthusiast, and a certified pilot, and now he’s moved into the director’s chair.

Daughter Ella got her start in acting at age 7 and has starred alongside her father in the films Old Dogs (2009) and ThePoison Rose (2019). In her dad’s forthcoming Apple Original Films project, which is an adaption of his 1997 book Propeller One-Way Night Coach: A Fable for All Ages, Ella plays a flight attendant.

Related: John Travolta Snatched Classic ‘Grease’ Song From Co-Star

Ella, pictured here in March 2026, is the spitting image of her dad and mom, the late Kelly Preston, who tragically died in July 2020, following a two-year battle with breast cancer. 

Here’s the synopsis for Propeller One-Way Night Coach via the release from Cannes:

“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.”

View this post on Instagram

Still curious? Here’s a quick news clip about the casting of Shotwell in the film:

View this post on Instagram

Propeller One-Way Night Coach, an Apple Original Film, is written, directed, and narrated by John Travolta. No exact date for the Cannes premiere is listed yet; however, following its showing there, the film will make its global debut on Apple TV on May 29, 2026.

Ella Bleu Travolta is also a singer, plays the lead in reimagined Alice-in-Wonderland film called Get Lost (with Terrence Howard and James Cromwell), and has other future projects in the works.

Travolta and his late wife Preston have three children—their oldest son Jett Travolta, who tragically passed away in 2009, as well as daughter Ella, 26, and son Benjamin Travolta, 15.

🎬SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬