The Secret of NIMH is a 1982 American animated fantasy adventure film directed by Don Bluth in his directorial debut and based on the 1971 children's novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien. The film features the voices of Elizabeth Hartman, Peter Strauss, Arthur Malet, Dom DeLuise, John Carradine, Derek Jacobi, Hermione Baddeley, and Paul Shenar. The Frisby family's name in the novel had to be changed to "Brisby" during production due to trademark concerns with Frisbee discs.