Entertainment Movies John Travolta and Katherine Heigl Have 'So Much Chemistry' in Upcoming Musical Rom-Com, Says Director The pair star in 'That's Amore!' from director Nick Vallelonga By Tommy McArdle Tommy McArdle Tommy McArdle is an editorial assistant on the Movies team at PEOPLE. Tommy joined PEOPLE in 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 1, 2023 04:56PM EDT Close John Travolta and Katherine Heigl. Photo: Manny Carabel/Getty, Theo Wargo/NBCUniversal/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty John Travolta and Katherine Heigl's That's Amore! director can't get enough of the actors. Director Nick Vallelonga gave Variety an update on his upcoming movie, described as a musical romantic comedy starring Travolta, 69, and Heigl, 44. According to the outlet, the film is about a never-married man, Nick (Travolta) and a woman named Patty, whose personal life has prevented her from dating — until the pair meet. “John and Katherine are fantastic together, and during rehearsals they had so much chemistry,” Vallelonga, 64, said of how the film is progressing. “We’re not breaking into big production numbers, but I wanted to try something a little different," he added. "We’ve recorded about seven songs so far with a full orchestra, and [Travolta is] just a magical person." "One of the numbers is a real throwback to Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, and we’ve got the whole cast singing 'That’s Amore’ at one point," he added. "I think people are going to absolutely love it.” Katherine Heigl Reflects on Decision to Raise Her Kids in Utah: 'Right Choice for Our Family' John Travolta on Aug. 22, 2019. Getty Images Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Vallelonga won two Oscars in 2019 as the screenwriter and producer of Green Book, which also won Best Picture. He told Variety he has "always had Travolta in mind for the role" the Grease alum plays in That's Amore! "I got to work with John on a George Gallo film [The Poison Rose] and I was his stand-in for a week on Staying Alive, so I’ve always been a big fan of his work," Vallelonga said. "He just makes you happy when you see him on screen, and I’ve always dreamed of making this movie with him.” John Travolta. Emma McIntyre/Getty That's Amore! also stars Christopher Walken, Talia Shire, William Fichtner, D.B. Sweeney and Drea de Mateo. “During rough times, folks need to laugh, and they need to get out and enjoy themselves," the director told Variety. "That’s what this movie is all about. It’s an old-fashioned, old-school film for all audiences, ages 8 to 80. It’s a little risky to do a musical, but we’ve got Travolta, so I’m not too worried.”