Australian Indie Comic Book Releases Incredible Live Action Film Trailer – GREENER PASTURES
THE MINOTAUR RISES: OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR GREENER PASTURES UNLEASHED AHEAD OF YEAR-END PREMIERE
Sydney, Australia – [26 August 2025] – A monster can only hide for so long.
Director Nik Kacevski has unveiled the official trailer for Greener Pastures, a dark, cinematic reimagining of the Minotaur myth set against the backdrop of rural Australia and the ruthless world of corporate finance.
Based on the award-winning Australian comic books by Michael Michalandos and Tim McEwen, Greener Pastures tells the story of Trevor Bovis, a minotaur who has buried his monstrous identity under a business suit, working for a predatory finance company that exploits struggling farmers. When he’s sent to foreclose on Colleen McGuinn’s family farm, Trevor is confronted by her fury and his own buried past. As old forces resurface and his horns return, Trevor must decide whether to remain a pawn of the system or reclaim the beast within to fight back.
“It’s a redemption story wrapped in myth,” says director Nik Kacevski. “What excites me most is that this is an Australian story at its core. Rooted in the land, our struggles, and our resilience, but told in a way that speaks universally. It’s about identity, survival, and the courage to face what you fear, no matter where you are in the world.”
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Comic book creators Tim McEwen and Michael Michalandos reflected on the journey from page to screen. “When we first created Greener Pastures, it was about more than just a minotaur, it was about humanity, vulnerability, and resilience. Nik has captured that heart and expanded it into something breathtakingly cinematic. Seeing Trevor brought to life this way is a dream for us.”
Producer Lauren Cooper of MIK Studio added: “There’s something uniquely powerful about telling Australian stories for an international audience. This film blends our distinct rural identity with mythic storytelling that will resonate globally. Nik’s vision turns an intimate character journey into something epic and unforgettable.”
Starring Maia Mitchell, Jeff Morrell, Matthew Backer and Alistair Bates, the film blends haunting character drama with mythic spectacle. At its core is a transformative performance, enhanced by the powerful voice work of Stefo Nantsou and ambitious practical effects by Make-Up Effects Group that bring the minotaur to life.
Following the trailer’s debut, Greener Pastures is set to premiere towards the end of 2025, with screenings to be announced soon.
Kacevski also confirmed that a feature-length adaptation is in active development, promising to expand the film’s mythology into a larger cinematic universe where ancient power rises against modern corruption.
Greener Pastures is produced by MIK Studio and Smoketale Films, with visual effects and design work that elevate the short to feature-film quality.
The official trailer is now live and available to watch
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Greener Pastures comics
Greener Pastures follows the life and adventures of loveable stud bull Trevor Bovis, who, in a fit of unexplained enlightenment, decides that there must be more to life than eating grass all day and having his way with the heifers all night. He leaves his home on the Cucumgilliga farm in rural Australia to attend the University of New South Wales. There he makes friends with an inept but earnest political activist named Colin McGuinn and his hedonistic flamboyant flatmate Caesar. Adventure and hilarity ensue, of course! Half man, half bull, all heart.
Greener Pastures is a satire dressed as a funny animal comic. Many serious topics have been touched upon including addiction, animal rights, veganism, and the meaning of life and death itself. Currently an original graphic novel is in the works, with the themes of guilt, regret, responsibility and duty underpinning the story of the now middle-aged Trevor and Colin, neither of whom are terribly happy with the place their decisions as young men have lead them to.
Greener Pastures was created by Michael Michalandos and Tim McEwen in early 1990 as a regular comic strip for the University of New South Wales student newspaper Tharunka. It became a self-published comic in its own right in 1994, having a hiatus between 1998 and 2023. Numerous mini-comics were also self-published, as well as short stories in many various places including Issue One #5 (1992 – Issue One Comics), The Tango Collection (2009 – Allen & Unwin), and Adventure Illustrated #1 and #2 (2020 and 2023 — Cyclone Comics).
The comic was distributed internationally via Diamond Comic Distribution and sold in the thousands, gathering fans across the world, while also being distributed in their thousands to newsagents across Australia.
Greener Pastures has been nominated for 26 awards over the years, winning two in 1997 (the OzCon Awards for Favourite Writer and Favourite Character), two in 2024 (Best comic at the Swedish International Film Festival, and a Silver Ledger at the Comic Arts Awards of Australia), and one in 2025 (Best comic at the Bridges International Film Festival), and has featured in 18 exhibitions internationally between 1993 and 2024, including in France, Germany, China and of course, Australia.
Currently Michael and Tim are working on an original Greener Pastures graphic novel that finally answers all the questions about who Trevor actually is and why he can talk and walk like a person. A live action short film is also currently in post production.
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Some quotes about Greener Pastures comics
The Comics Beat says… “[Greener Pastures is] An Australian indie darling.”
The Comics Beat; the #1 source for comics and graphic novel news.
Bleeding Cool says… “Greener Pastures is a classic.”
Bleeding Cool is a leading source for comics, film, TV, gaming, and toys rumors, news, and info.
The Sydney Morning Herald says… “[Greener Pastures] is indicative of the international maturation of the comic literary form.”
The SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia; a newspaper of record.
Impact Comics says… “Genre defying, fun, and beautiful. The way good comics should be.”
Impact Comics, Canberra’s biggest comic shop.
Ashley Wood says… “Greener Pastures represents what’s great about Australian comics: independent, unique and an inspiration to others.”
Wood: Popbot; Lore; World War Robot; Metal Gear Solid; Zombies Vs Robots.
Chris Thompson says… “A delightful blend of Dave Sim’s Cerebus and Bryan Talbot’s Grandville, with a sprinkling of MAD Magazine.”
Thompson: Heavy Metal Magazine; Titan Comics; Eaglemoss.
Gary Chaloner says… “There is no Australian comic book… no comic book, period… quite like Greener Pastures.”
Chaloner: The Jackaroo; Will Eisner’s John Law.
Nathan Jurevicius says… “Comics’ greatest bovine!”
Jurevicius: Scarygirl; Junction; Birthmark.
