FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2013
Actor James Franco Named Grand Marshal for 55th Annual Daytona 500
Star of Disney's Upcoming 'Oz The Great and Powerful' to Deliver
Starting Command for 'The Great American Race'
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – James Franco, star of the Disney fantastical
adventure "Oz The Great and Powerful," which is scheduled for release on
March 8, will serve as Grand Marshal for the 55th running of
the Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 24 at
Daytona International Speedway. The race is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on
FOX and will also be broadcasted on FOX Deportes, MRN Radio and Sirius
XM Satellite Radio.
Franco
will give the starting command, "Drivers start your engines," in "The
Great American Race." He'll also be introduced at the driver's meeting,
participate in pre-race ceremonies and ride in one of the Grand Marshal
cars during the pace laps prior to the green flag of the 200-lap,
500-mile race.
"We're
excited to welcome James Franco and have him take part in the pre-race
festivities for the Daytona 500," Daytona International Speedway
President Joie Chitwood III said. "In front of thousands of race fans
and millions more watching on FOX, we're looking forward to hearing
James' enthusiastic starting command to kick off the Daytona 500 and the
new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season."
"Oz
The Great and Powerful," directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of
L. Frank Baum's beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James
Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled
away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the
jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking-that is until he meets
three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda
(Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard
everyone's been expecting.
Reluctantly
drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants,
Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late.
Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity-and even a
bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard
but into a better man as well.
Joe
Roth produced "Oz The Great and Powerful," with screen story by
Mitchell Kapner and screenplay by Mitchell Kapner and David
Lindsay-Abaire.
Franco
will next be seen in Harmony Korine's "Spring Breakers." His credits
include "127 Hours," in which he received a Best Actor Oscar®
nomination, " the "Spider-Man" trilogy, "Milk," "Pineapple Express" and
most recently "Rise of the Planet of the Apes."
Franco
joins the prestigious list of previous Daytona 500 Grand Marshals
including John Travolta, Ben Affleck, Nicolas Cage, Kate Upton, Jane
Lynch and Matthew McConaughey.
Tickets for the 55th Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 24, as well as all Budweiser Speedweeks At Daytona events, are available online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.
Fans
can follow NASCAR on Twitter (@NASCAR) and stay up to speed on the
latest news by using hashtags #NASCAR and #DAYTONA500 and
#NASCARBattle. In addition, fans can also stay connected with Daytona
International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest for all the latest news all season long.