“We wanted to craft a story where family pride and self-belief accelerate side by side,” says producer Michael Mack, who envisioned Grand Prix of Europe as both a cinematic milestone and a gateway to a vibrant entertainment universe.
Grand Prix of Europe is a vibrant animated sports comedy celebrating the 50th anniversary of Germany’s Europa-Park, starring its beloved mascots Ed Euromaus and Edda Euromausi in their first cinematic adventure.
Mack was inspired by the 50th anniversary of Europa-Park, Germany’s largest theme park, and its iconic mascots Ed Euromaus and Edda Euromausi. The film marks their cinematic debut, transforming beloved park characters into animated heroes in a high-speed adventure designed to celebrate family, courage, and imagination.
The park has welcomed millions of visitors since 1975, and the film serves as a tribute to its cultural impact and storytelling tradition. Originally created as mascots for live entertainment and branding, Ed and Edda were reimagined as dynamic protagonists to appeal to a global audience.
Mack envisioned the film as the launchpad for a broader entertainment universe—including games, books, and theme park attractions. The creators aimed to build a world that could be experienced across film, publishing, and interactive media, blending animation with real-world park experiences.
The creators aimed to build a world that could be experienced across film, publishing, and interactive media, blending animation with real-world park experiences.
Edda, a spirited young mouse, dreams of becoming a race car driver like her idol Ed. In Grand Prix of Europe, the beloved Europa-Park mascot Edda Euromausi trades fairground sparkle for racetrack grit in a high-octane animated debut that celebrates courage, identity, and the park’s 50-year legacy. Disguised as her racing idol Ed Euromaus, Edda enters the Grand Prix to save her father’s struggling fairground—dodging sabotage, chasing dreams, and rewriting what it means to be a hero.
Adapting Mascots into a Film Narrative
The screenplay for Grand Prix of Europe was written by Kirstie Falkous, Jeffrey Hylton, and John T. Reynolds. Their task was to transform Europa-Park’s beloved mascots into fully realised cinematic characters, marking their first appearance on the big screen.
The writers began by crafting a classic underdog story, giving Edda a compelling arc as a young mouse who dreams of racing glory.
They infused the script with family-friendly humour, emotional stakes, and high-speed action, ensuring it would resonate with both children and adults.
To honour Europa-Park’s legacy, they embedded nods to the park’s attractions and ethos, making the film feel like an extension of the park experience.
The collaboration between Falkous, Hylton, and Reynolds was a fusion of complementary strengths and international flair.
Falkous laid the emotional foundation of Edda’s journey, ensuring that family dynamics and personal growth remained at the heart of the story.
Hylton, with his expertise in adapting content for global audiences, shaped the dialogue into something snappy and universal—perfect for cross-market appeal.
Reynolds brought momentum and irreverence to the scenes, dialing up the pacing and injecting classic sports-comedy tension into Edda’s race sequences.
Together, they crafted a screenplay that balanced heartfelt storytelling, high-speed adventure, and playful humour, making Ed and Edda’s big-screen debut both nostalgic and fresh.
The screenplay was designed to support transmedia storytelling, laying the groundwork for tie-ins like a video game (Ed & Edda: Grand Prix – Racing Champions) and a theme park attraction (Grand Prix EDventure).
Director Waldemar Fast then brought the script to life with vibrant CGI animation, dynamic race sequences, and a voice cast led by Gemma Arterton, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Hayley Atwell.
The collaborative script for Grand Prix of Europe doesn’t just tell a story—it launches a universe. With Falkous anchoring the emotional depth, Hylton fine-tuning its global voice, and Reynolds injecting cinematic zest, the film becomes more than a mascot vehicle—it’s the blueprint for a cross-platform franchise. From racetracks to roller coasters, the narrative drives straight into Europa-Park’s transmedia future, offering kids and families a hero they can cheer for in cinemas, gaming consoles, and real-life attractions. It’s the kind of storytelling that turns theme park legacy into pop culture momentum.
Kirstie Falkous is a British screenwriter and producer best known for her work across family-friendly television and animation. She’s contributed to series like Doc Martin, Free Rein, and Zero Chill, often blending heartfelt character development with genre appeal. Her writing style leans into emotional arcs and accessible storytelling, which made her a natural fit for Grand Prix of Europe, where she helped shape Edda’s journey with warmth and humour.
Jeffrey Hylton is an American writer and dialogue specialist with a background in adapting international animated content for English-speaking audiences. His credits span series like MeteoHeroes, Heroes of Goo Jit Zu, and Super Wings. Hylton brings a keen sense of comedic timing and linguistic clarity to his scripts, playing a vital role in Grand Prix of Europe’s lively voice work and transnational appeal.
John T. Reynolds is a seasoned animation writer whose resume includes Courage the Cowardly Dog, Taffy, and The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show. Known for his irreverent humour and underdog narratives, Reynolds helped sculpt Grand Prix of Europe into a fast-paced yet emotionally grounded film. His experience across studios like Cartoon Network and Netflix gave the project a buoyant, cinematic tone, ideal for launching Europa-Park’s mascots into movie stardom.
Waldemar Fast is a German character animator and director with over a decade of experience in feature films, television, and commercials. He graduated from the International Filmschool Cologne in 2008 with a diploma in Animation and VFX, and also studied at the Institute for Animation, Visual Effects, and Digital Postproduction in Ludwigsburg. Fast’s expertise spans 3D and 2D character animation, modeling, storyboarding, and previs, with credits on acclaimed projects such as Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Sapphire Blue, and Happy Family. He’s contributed to both Oscar-nominated shorts and major international productions, including Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024). Known for his expressive animation style and technical precision, Fast also teaches at the Cologne Game Lab, where he shares his passion for storytelling through movement and design.
