John Travolta once again showcased his commitment to the now-viral beret look as he sported the French-style cap on the red carpet Thursday night. The Grease star, 72, attended the New York City premiere of his new film Propeller One-Way Night Coach at The Museum of Modern Art, accompanied by his daughter Ella Bleu Travolta, 26.
Travolta's Directorial Debut
The film marks Travolta's directorial debut and is based on a children's book he wrote nearly three decades ago in 1997. Propeller One-Way Night Coach will be available for streaming on Apple TV starting May 29.
Red Carpet Style
Travolta appeared delighted as he posed for photographers, wearing a navy blue beret atop his bald head. The chic hat complemented his navy blue suit and bow tie, paired with a white button-up shirt, a white pocket square, and shiny black shoes. His facial hair was perfectly groomed and dyed a dark brown, a style choice that has also attracted attention on social media.
Travolta frequently posed with one arm around Ella's waist as the father-daughter duo navigated the red carpet together. Ella, who plays 'Doris' in the film, looked elegant in a white dress with a bright blue floral pattern, featuring a blue satin bow at the front and a flattering halter neckline. Her brunette hair was styled in an updo with strands left out to frame her face.
Family and Co-Stars
Travolta shares Ella with his late wife, Kelly Preston. They are also parents to son Ben, 15, and the late Jett, who died in 2009 at age 16 after suffering a seizure during a family vacation in the Bahamas. The father and daughter also posed with co-stars Kelly Eviston-Quinnett and Clark Shotwell, who portray a mother and son in the film.
Travolta later reunited with model Alina Rose Armstrong, another star of the film. He flashed a wide smile as he and the blonde beauty snapped photos together ahead of the screening.
Film Synopsis
According to the official synopsis, Propeller One-Way Night Coach tells the story of a young airplane enthusiast named Jeff (played by newcomer Clark Shotwell) and his mother (Kelly Eviston-Quinnett), who embark on a one-way cross-country odyssey to Hollywood, transforming a simple flight into the trip of a lifetime. The movie is based on Travolta's 1997 children's book of the same name, which was a tribute to his lifelong passion for aviation and inspired by his childhood memories of watching planes take off from LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Beret Craze at Cannes
The film adaptation made its world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival over the weekend. However, it was Travolta's eye-catching beret and dyed beard combination that stole the show. He was mercilessly roasted by fans for wearing not one but three versions of the French-style cap at various Cannes events.
On Monday, Travolta broke his silence about the chatter surrounding his newfound love of berets during an interview with CNN. He explained that there was an important reason for wearing the chic headgear for his directorial debut.
'The old school directors wore berets and the glasses. And I thought, that's what I'm doing,' he told the outlet, referencing his role behind the camera directing Propeller One-Way Night Coach. He added that the striking look would help him remember the event in the future.
'I've been around for over 50 years doing movies, but I can't tell, when I look back, the difference between the events,' he said. 'And I said, "I'm a director this time. You're an actor, play the part of a director. Look like an old school director."' He mentioned that he looked up pictures of famous filmmakers for inspiration.
'I'm gonna do an homage to being a director,' he said of his catchy red carpet look. 'So I'm gonna play the part of being a director and then when I look back, I'll know, "Oh, that was Propeller One-Way Night Coach, that was Cannes, that was when I won the Palme d'Or." And I will have vividness of it.'
While he did not name a specific cinematic idol, Travolta may have been channeling The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, known for wearing berets, or legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, who was also fond of the headgear.
Social Media Reactions
Travolta's beret streak began on his way to Cannes, as he wore a navy version of the hat while piloting his own plane to the festival with his daughter Ella on Friday. 'Big day, big night in Cannes. Stay tuned!' he captioned an Instagram video showing the journey.
Later on Friday and Saturday, the actor turned heads twice with new versions of the eye-catching look. He first arrived on the red carpet in a beige beret with a freshly dyed beard. He later modeled a black beret with matching spectacles at a photocall for his new movie.
Not content with his bookish look, Travolta also pulled a series of zany poses on the red carpet, flashing the peace sign and dramatically throwing his hands into the air. His transformation was swiftly roasted by fans online, with comments such as 'Who is that?' and 'The hat is fine but what's with the beard? He's in his 70's and his beard is black lmao.' Others praised the star, writing 'Wow. He looks like a real artist now' and 'Man's still fine with all them wrinkles. Hello pappy.'
