Netflix Developing Crazy Taxi Movie, New Sonic Series, and More Sega Adaptations

Netflix has officially begun developing multiple adaptations of Sega’s popular video game franchises.

According to a Variety report, the first project under Netflix and Sega’s new multi-title deal is a feature-film adaptation of Crazy Taxi, followed by a new animated Sonic the Hedgehog kids’ series. Another project in development is a movie based on the action-adventure game Stranger Than Heaven.

Crazy Taxi will be written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the writing duo behind the 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun. Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher of Original Film, along with Toru Nakahara of Sega, are attached as producers.

The new animated Sonic the Hedgehog kids’ series is described as “a high-voltage, comedic, yet emotionally grounded series built for kids who want to feel a little edge, a little attitude.”

Unlike Crazy Taxi, Stranger Than Heaven is a very different kind of project. Sega and Netflix are keeping the details under wraps, but a live-action movie is currently in development, with Nakahara producing.

Set in early 20th-century Japan, Stranger Than Heaven follows a foreigner who rises through society from a poor outsider to a feared yakuza and eventually an entertainment tycoon.

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

Original Film’s Moritz and Ascher said, “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.”

The new Sega projects will join Netflix’s growing lineup of video game adaptations. This includes the live-action Assassin’s Creed series, a live-action Gears of War movie, and animated adaptations of Minecraft, Magic: The Gathering, and Clash of Clans.