Heidi's story returns in theatrical form in this 1979 film, which condenses the entire television series of the same name into a single feature. The source is Johanna Spyri's Heidi novels, and the tone is gentle drama with a slice of life feel. It reached cinemas five years after the TV run. Only the voices of Heidi and her grandfather carry over from the series, while every other role is played by a new cast. Two OVAs followed later, each offering its own longer edit of the TV series and bringing back the original voice actors in place of the replacements.