The yr was 1992, and John Travolta was flying a company jet along with his household on board when he skilled “a total electrical failure” in the course of the flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Rockland, Maine on Thanksgiving Day.
“I knew what it felt like to absolutely think you’re going to die,” the 69-year-old actor recalled (by way of Selection) at a particular screening of his new Disney+ movie, The Shepherd, in London. “I had two good jet engines, but I had no instruments, no electric, nothing. And I thought it was over.”
However simply when Travolta thought he was going to crash the Gulfstream II turbojet, he says a “miracle” occurred.
“And then as if by a miracle, we descended as per the rules to lower altitude. I saw the Washington D.C. monument and identified that Washington National Airport was next to it and I made a landing just like [Freddie] does in the film,” he defined
And it is this near-death expertise (he was 38 on the time) is what impressed Travolta to adapt Frederick Forsyth’s 1975 novel of the identical title. The e book tells the story of a younger Royal Air Pressure pilot flying house for Christmas. Just like Travolta’s distressing story, the younger pilot, Freddie Hooke (portrayed by Ben Radcliffe), additionally suffers whole electrical failure. Freddie’s miracle? A pilot (performed by Travolta), who reveals up out of nowhere and guides the younger pilot to a protected touchdown.
“So when I read [Forsyth’s] book, it resonated even more because of this experience I had personally had,” Travolta defined.
Based on The Washington Submit, Travolta’s spouse, Kelly Preston, was on board with their then-7-month-old son, Jett, who died in 2009 following a seizure. Preston died from breast most cancers in 2020. They had been headed to their island trip house in Maime to have a good time Jett’s first Thanksgiving. Based on the newspaper, the incident triggered the Federal Aviation Company (FAA) to briefly droop flights at 4 airports. An investigation later concluded that the scary incident may have truly been far worse, after the jet almost collided mid-air with a Boeing 727 carrying 182 passengers.
Selection experiences that shortly after the incident — which included blowing the jet’s tires in the course of the emergency touchdown — Travolta went and bought his personal de Havilland Vampire jet, which is identical jet depicted in Forsyth’s novel.
“So, I’m reading this book saying, ‘I’ve lived this,'” he says (by way of Selection). “And of course, I was young enough then that I could have played this part [of Freddie]. But I had to wait 30 years to play the Shepherd.”
The outlet experiences Travolta acquired the display rights to Forsyth’s e book, however he by no means had time to work on this ardour challenge.
“Because it was right after Pulp Fiction, I was doing one move after another,” he defined. “After 10 years, I just let it go and decided that I was never going to really get to do it.”
Till now.
The Shepherd drops Dec. 1 on Disney+.
RELATED CONTENT: