Netflix and Sega Team Up for CRAZY TAXI Movie, New SONIC Series and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN Film

Netflix and Sega are putting the pedal down on a new batch of video game adaptations, and they’re starting with one of Sega’s most wonderfully chaotic arcade games.

A Crazy Taxi feature film is officially in development as the first project under a new multititle deal between Netflix and Sega. The companies are also developing a new animated Sonic the Hedgehog series for younger viewers and a film based on Stranger Than Heaven, the upcoming action-adventure game from RGG Studio.

Crazy Taxi certainly feels like the wild card of the group, and potentially the funniest. The movie will be written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the writing team behind the 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun.

Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher of Original Film will produce alongside Sega’s Toru Nakahara, with the trio already having plenty of experience bringing Sonic to the screen.

“Great games already have what every adaptation is chasing — characters people love, worlds they know by heart, and fandoms that show up,” said Brandon Riegg, VP of nonfiction and transmedia at Netflix, in a statement.

“With Crazy Taxi, Sonic and Stranger Than Heaven, we get to work across three completely different eras of Sega’s catalog, celebrating everything fans love, while introducing them to new audiences.”

Crazy Taxi made its arcade debut in 1999 before becoming closely associated with Sega’s Dreamcast. The game puts players behind the wheel of a cab and rewards them for getting passengers to their destinations as quickly and recklessly as possible.

Sega describes the experience as playing a “fearless cabbie racing the clock through chaotic city streets — flying off ramps, dodging traffic and chasing tips with punk-rock energy that became the series’ signature.”

That arcade-style insanity could make for a pretty damn fun comedy if Gregor and Mand lean into what made the games work. The timing also makes sense for Sega, as the franchise is returning with Crazy Taxi: World Tour, which is scheduled to launch in 2027.

Moritz and Ascher clearly shared in a statement: “We couldn’t be more excited to continue our longstanding relationship with Sega and bring Crazy Taxi to life with our partners at Netflix.

“This film is for anyone who’s spent hours behind the wheel of a yellow cab on their Dreamcast, with the music cranked up, smashing through everything in sight just to make the next fare.”

Meanwhile, Netflix and Sega are heading back into Sonic territory with another animated series. Carlos Stevens and Nakahara are developing the show, which is being created for an upper preschool audience and will once again feature Sonic and his friends as heroes.

Sega describes the project as a “high-voltage, comedic, yet emotionally grounded series built for kids who want to feel a little edge, a little attitude, and a lot of ‘that’s my crew’ wish fulfillment.”

Netflix already has a history with the blue speedster thanks to three seasons of Sonic Prime, all of which are currently available on the streaming service. This new show sounds like it will target a younger audience while keeping some of Sonic’s trademark attitude.

Nakahara offered an idea of what Sega wants from all three projects: “Expect something cute yet cool for Sonic, hilariously crazy for Crazy Taxi and a badass action drama for Stranger Than Heaven, because we’ve got some amazing creative ideas lined up and we are just getting started. The whole team is absolutely thrilled!”

Stranger Than Heaven takes things in a much different direction. The game comes from RGG Studio, the developer behind the bestselling Like a Dragon: Yakuza franchise, which has sold more than 30 million copies.

Set in early 20th century Japan, the game follows a foreigner who rises from a life of poverty to become a feared yakuza and eventually an entertainment tycoon. It’s currently scheduled for release in January 2027, with Nakahara also attached as a producer on Netflix’s film adaptation.

Shuji Utsumi, president and COO of Sega, said: “We’ve watched Netflix take on stories across every kind of format and treat each one with real craft, and seeing that same dedication applied to Sonic, Crazy Taxi and Stranger Than Heaven is something we at Sega are incredibly proud to be a part of.

“The fandoms of these games deserve storytelling that honors what makes each title special, and we know Netflix shares that commitment. This is just the start of what these titles can become.”

The streamer also has a live-action Assassin’s Creed series and Gears of War movie in the works, along with animated adaptations of Minecraft, Magic: The Gathering and Clash of Clans.

There’s also the Overcooked competition series, second seasons of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, and the third and final season of Devil May Cry.

Of the newly announced Sega projects, Crazy Taxi might be the most interesting simply because of how wonderfully ridiculous the source material is. Fast cars, angry passengers, insane shortcuts, punk-rock attitude and drivers treating traffic laws like suggestions sounds like solid material for a comedy.

Now they just need the right cast, the right soundtrack, and plenty of property damage.

Source: Variety