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 genuinely believes he saves the world before dinner. Then, halfway through, the kid stops believing — and the movie has to figure out what’s left.
Characters
Rob Lavoie / Rocket Rob — Arena engineer turned superhero. Cape is a dish towel. Powers fueled by his son’s belief.
Max Lavoie (8) — The power source. When he stops believing, the hero — and the film — go quiet.
Claire Lavoie / Vela — Rob’s wife. Vela is the hero she was in her own mind, built to carry it all alone before she chose family. Suits up again in Act Three.
Victor Watt — Former colleague. Scaled their tech to control the city. His exit has no line — just a creased photo and the family he traded for it.
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.”
Every superhero film gives the hero powers and asks “can they handle it?” Rocket Rob gives a child the power — belief — and asks what happens when it goes away. The Incredibles starts with superheroes and finds the family story. Rocket Rob starts with a family and finds the superhero story.
What Exists
- Complete master screenplay (~90 pages) assembled from 20 fully scripted sequences with director’s notes
- 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. Everything needed to evaluate the project is at the link below.
