Synopsis

Norbit Albert Rice is a timid man trapped in an unhappy marriage to the domineering Rasputia. When his childhood sweetheart, Kate, returns to town, Norbit sees a chance to reclaim the life he lost. Rasputia and her brothers, however, are determined to control him and seize the local orphanage, forcing Norbit to find the courage to resist them.

Factoids & Trivia

• Eddie Murphy plays three principal roles in the film: Norbit, Rasputia, and Mr. Wong. The production continued Murphy's earlier tradition of using elaborate makeup to portray multiple characters.

• Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji received a 2008 Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup. Rasputia's appearance involved prosthetic makeup, a large foam-latex body suit, silicone details, wigs, and digital compositing.

• Murphy did not perform every scene as Rasputia in person. For some large-scale action sequences, including material set at the water park, a body double was used and Murphy's made-up face was digitally combined with the double's body.

• The film was made on an estimated $60 million budget and earned approximately $159.8 million worldwide.

• Norbit received eight Golden Raspberry Award nominations and won three, all connected to Murphy's performances as Norbit, Rasputia, and Mr. Wong.

• Principal photography took place in California, including studio backlots at Universal Studios and Warner Bros. Studios, as well as Paramount Ranch.

• Norbit was the first of three films made by Murphy and Brian Robbins. Their later collaborations were Meet Dave and A Thousand Words.

• The film was released in theaters on February 9, 2007, shortly after Murphy received an Academy Award nomination for his supporting performance in Dreamgirls.