Forty years ago today, "Slice of Heaven" hit number one on the New Zealand charts. Dave Dobbyn and Herbs. Footrot Flats. That swing bridge. It still lives rent-free in the heads of anyone who was there.
To mark the anniversary, distributor Madman has released a remastered 4K trailer for Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale — the 1986 animated film based on Murray Ball's beloved newspaper comic strip. A full theatrical re-release follows in January for the film's 40th anniversary, off the back of a successful run at this year's New Zealand International Film Festival.
More than 700,000 New Zealanders saw it in cinemas when it first came out. The film grossed over NZ$2.5 million at the time — around NZ$7.24 million in today's money — and it still sits in the top ten highest-grossing New Zealand films of all time. Dog, Wal, Rangi and the gang weren't just characters. For a generation of New Zealanders, they were neighbours.
None of it was a foregone conclusion. Original producer Pat Cox told RNZ that Ball — who died in 2021 — needed some convincing that his daily strip could make the leap to film.
"I used every skill I had to try and convince him it would make a great a film," Cox said.
Ball eventually came on board, and when he did, he was all in. Cox says he had a hands-on role across every element of the production — right down to the voices.
"He supervised every single animation that went in the film," Cox said.
The 4K restoration keeps Ball's hand-drawn world exactly as audiences first saw it — just sharper. It's the kind of film that earns its nostalgia, built on actual craft rather than brand recognition alone. A comic strip brought to life by someone who cared enough to watch every frame.
Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale returns to cinemas in January 2027.