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7 sources Sep 14 Updated

Netflix and Sega Plan Live-Action Crazy Taxi Film and Sonic Kids Anime

Netflix and Sega announced a partnership on September 15 to adapt Sega game properties into film and television. Three projects are in production.

Reporting from 7 sources: Anime News Network, GAME Watch (Impress), KAI-YOU, ASCII.jp, and 3 more.

Why it matters

Sega's Sonic movie success gave it leverage to sell Netflix three adaptations at once across different genres, and Netflix is taking on a game that has not shipped a mainline entry in over a decade alongside one that has not released yet.

Netflix and Sega Plan Live-Action Crazy Taxi Film and Sonic Kids Anime

Key Facts

  • Netflix and Sega announced a partnership on September 15 to adapt Sega game properties for film and television.
  • Crazy Taxi is getting a live-action comedy film written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, with Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Sega's Toru Nakahara producing.
  • A new Sonic the Hedgehog animated series aimed at upper preschoolers is in production with Carlos Stevens and Toru Nakahara as producers.
  • A live-action crime film based on Stranger Than Heaven is in development with Toru Nakahara producing.
  • Crazy Taxi: World Tour is scheduled for release in 2027.

A live-action comedy film based on Crazy Taxi is the first, with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand writing the script. Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher, who produced the Sonic the Hedgehog films, produce with Sega's Toru Nakahara. A new animated Sonic the Hedgehog children's series is aimed at upper preschoolers, with Carlos Stevens and Nakahara producing. A live-action crime film based on Stranger Than Heaven, the Ryu ga Gotoku Studio game set in early 20th-century Japan, is also in development, with Nakahara producing. Genres span live-action comedy, kids anime, and live-action crime action. No distribution dates were announced.

Sega Representative Director and COO Shuji Utsumi said the company has long respected Netflix's work across formats and the care it brings to each project, and that the same passion will go into Sonic, Crazy Taxi, and Stranger Than Heaven. Nakahara described the intended tones: Sonic and friends as cute but cool heroes, Crazy Taxi as a wild high-speed action comedy full of witty jokes, and Stranger Than Heaven as sharp action with heart-pounding drama.

Netflix's Brandon Riegg, Vice President of Nonfiction and Transmedia, said the three titles come from different eras of Sega's catalog and that Netflix will keep the appeal fans know while reaching new audiences. Moritz and Ascher, of Original Film, said the Crazy Taxi film is aimed at fans who drove the yellow taxi on the Dreamcast.

Game Spark noted that Netflix has previously streamed game adaptations including Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness. Crazy Taxi: World Tour, a new entry in the racing series, is set for 2027, and Stranger Than Heaven is scheduled for release on January 15. Announced platforms for Stranger Than Heaven are Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. Crazy Taxi: World Tour is listed for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store.

  • Crazy Taxi live-action comedy film: Script by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand; produced by Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara
  • Sonic the Hedgehog animated children's series: Aimed at upper preschoolers; Carlos Stevens and Nakahara produce
  • Stranger Than Heaven live-action crime film: Based on the Ryu ga Gotoku Studio game set in early 20th-century Japan; Nakahara produces

Written with AI by Yomimono from the 7 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.

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Crazy Taxi Stranger Than Heaven Sonic the Hedgehog Netflix Sega Dan Gregor Doug Mand

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