Rocket Rob
An animated feature about a dad who might be a superhero — or might just be trying his best.
A dad who might be a superhero — or might just be trying his best. His eight-year-old narrates their ordinary life as an epic adventure. Then, halfway through, the narration stops — and Dad has to find the courage to author his own story.
Characters
Rob Lavoie / Rocket Rob — Arena energy engineer at Titan Sports Tech. Cape is a dish towel. Max teaches him the language of heroism; in Act Three, Rob chooses it for himself.
Max Lavoie (8) — The narrator and emotional stake. When his voice goes quiet, the hero — and the film — diminish.
Claire Lavoie / Vela — Rob’s wife. Vela is the hero she built from her own self-belief. In Act Three, Claire remembers she can choose both Vela and her family.
Victor Watt — Rob’s former Titan colleague and founder of Watt Dynamics. He offers Rob status, control, and a life with every rough edge removed.
Coach Hank — Max’s hockey coach. Delivers the thesis at pickup and the resolution at the arena.
Maple — The family cat. Always shows up. Unexplained. Trusted by the audience before anyone earns it.
Comparable Properties
The Incredibles — Family superhero dynamics, secret identity, work-life tension
Inside Out — Emotional depth, dual-audience storytelling, a theme parents feel in their bones
Up — The quiet devastation. The love story underneath the adventure.
Toy Story — Being someone’s hero, the fear of not being enough
The Signature Moment
Mid-film, Max quietly stops narrating his dad as a superhero. The film loses its color, its fun, its engine. Parents recognize this — it’s the moment a child stops playing pretend. The payoff: after the final battle, both parents race across town to make a hockey game. The golden seat — empty for weeks — fills. Max looks up and sees them both.
“Being a hero isn’t about saving the world. It’s about showing up for the people who believe in you.”
Max spends Act One narrating the ordinary into something epic. When his voice goes quiet, Rob and Claire must decide whether they can carry that heroic language for themselves. The Incredibles starts with superheroes and finds the family story. Rocket Rob starts with a family and finds the superhero story.
What Exists
- Complete feature screenplay and production-ready scene package
- Complete production bible (characters, world, three-act structure)
- 90+ pieces of concept art and visual development
- Standalone animated short screenplay (Maple: Field Report, ~6 min)
- Full interactive pitch site
Looking For
Producing partners, development funding, or studio interest to bring Rocket Rob from pitch to proof-of-concept demo. Open to co-production. The pitch, bible, and visual-development materials are available online; the screenplay is shared on request.
