Crazy Taxi, the beloved racing franchise about getting your passengers to their destination no matter the cost, is coming to Netflix. The title is getting a film adaptation as part of a new collaboration between the streamer and the video game company Sega.
The partnership also includes adaptations of Sonic and Stranger Than Heaven, an upcoming action-adventure game that’s a prequel in the Like a Dragon franchise. The slate of projects between Netflix and Sega will span genres, styles and formats, ranging from live action comedy and kids’ animation to live-action crime.
Sonic the Hedghog will get a new preschool animated series from Carlos Stevens and Toru Nakahara, which will present Sonic and his friends as heroes for an upper pre-school audience — “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.”
The new Sonic series is separate from “Sonic Prime,” which ran from 2022 to 2024 and spanned three seasons.
As for the Crazy Taxi movie, that feature adaptation will be written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the duo behind the critically-acclaimed 2025 reboot of “The Naked Gun.” Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher and Toru Nakahara, the producers behind the Sonic film series, are also producers on the project.
“Stranger Than Heaven” is also being produced by Nakahara.
“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, vice president of Nonfiction and Transmedia at Netflix. “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.”
“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 chief operating officer 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.”
For his part, Head Producer at Sega Toru Nakahara teased that fans can expect “something cute yet cool” for Sonic, a movie that’s “hilariously crazy” for Crazy Taxi and “badass action drama” for Stranger Than Heaven.
“We couldn’t be more excited to continue our longstanding relationship with Sega and bring Crazy Taxi to life with our partners at Netflix,” said Moritz and Ascher. “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.”
During a time when video games have emerged as the hottest IP in Hollywood, Netflix has proven itself as a leader when it comes to making strong adaptations. Several of the streamer’s animated video game series — particularly “Castlevania,” Arcane” and “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” — have been widely praised among fans. The streamer’s live-action adaptations have been more chaotic. Though it’s technically more of a book adaptation, “The Witcher” was a series that started strong before finishing quietly, and the streamer’s “Resident Evil” series didn’t make it past Season 1.
Despite some misses along the way, Netflix still seems dedicated to video games. In addition to the streamer’s own gaming division, Netflix was the first platform to debut the trailer for “Grand Theft Auto VI,” which saw 31.1 million views.
The streamer also has several video game adaptations in the works including a live-action Assassin’s Creed show; a live-action Gears of War movie; animated series based on Minecraft, Magic: The Gathering and Clash of Clans; and an Overcooked competition series. Second seasons of “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” and “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch” are also in the works as well as the third and final season of “Devil May Cry.”
