Cute Devil

The Secret of NIMH is a 1982 American independent animated fantasy adventure film directed by Don Bluth in his directorial debut and based on Robert C. O'Brien's children's novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Featuring an ensemble cast consisting of Elizabeth Hartman in her final film role as its protagonist, Mrs. Brisby, with Peter Strauss, Arthur Malet, Dom DeLuise, John Carradine, Derek Jacobi, Paul Shenar and Hermione Baddeley in supporting roles, the film was produced by Bluth's production company, Don Bluth Productions, in association with Aurora Productions. The Secret of NIMH was released in the United States on July 2, 1982, by MGM/UA Entertainment Co. under the United Artists label. It was met with critical acclaim and won a Saturn Award for Best Animated Film of 1982. Though the film only made $14.7 million against a $7 million budget at the box office, it turned a solid profit through home video and overseas releases. It was followed in 1998 by a direct-to-video sequel, The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue, which was made without Bluth's involvement. In 2015, a live-action/animated remake was reported to be in the works. A television series adaptation was also revealed to be in development since 2021.