‘Crazy Taxi’ Comedy Movie Coming From Netflix and Sega, New ‘Sonic’ TV Series and ‘Stranger Than Heaven’ Film in the Works

Netflix has hit the start button on multiple adaptations of Sega hit gaming franchises.

The first project under the companies’ new multititle deal is a feature-film adaptation of “Crazy Taxi,” Sega’s long-running racing game. The movie will be written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand — the writing duo behind the 2025 reboot of “The Naked Gun” — with Original Film’s Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher and Sega’s Toru Nakahara, the producers behind the Sonic franchises, on board to produce.

Netflix and Sega also announced two other adaptations in development: a new animated “Sonic the Hedgehog” kids’ series and a movie based on action-adventure game “Stranger Than Heaven.”

“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.”

Toru Nakahara, head producer at Sega, commented: “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!”

In “Crazy Taxi,” which made its arcade debut in 1999, players sit in the driver’s seat as 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,” per Sega. The latest title in the franchise, “Crazy Taxi: World Tour,” is scheduled for release in 2027.

“We couldn’t be more excited to continue our longstanding relationship with Sega and bring ‘Crazy Taxi’ to life with our partners at Netflix,” Original Film’s Moritz and Ascher said in a statement. “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, a new animated “Sonic” series is currently in development with Carlos Stevens and Toru Nakahara. The show will present Sonic and his friends as heroes for an upper pre-school audience, touted 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,” per Sega. Three seasons of Netflix’s “Sonic Prime” 3D animated series are currently available to stream only on Netflix.

“Stranger Than Heaven” hails from RGG Studio, developer of the bestselling “Like a Dragon: Yakuza” series, with over 30 million copies sold. The game, set to be released in January 2027, is set in early 20th century Japan, following a foreigner who claws his way from destitute stranger to feared yakuza to entertainment tycoon. Toru Nakahara is set as producer on the film.

“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,” said Shuji Utsumi, president and COO of Sega. “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 new Sega titles will join Netflix’s growing slate of video game adaptations. Those include a live-action “Assassin’s Creed” series; a live-action “Gears of War” film; animated series adaptations based on “Minecraft,” “Magic: The Gathering” and “Clash of Clans”; the “Overcooked” competition series; second seasons of “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” and “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch”; and the third and final season of “Devil May Cry.”