Netflix Expands Sega Partnership with Crazy Taxi Film and Sonic Animated Series
Netflix is developing a feature film based on Sega's Crazy Taxi, with writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand attached. The project is part of a broader multi-title deal that also includes a new animated Sonic series and a live-action adaptation of Stranger Than Heaven. Netflix's Brandon Riegg and Sega's Shuji Utsumi both expressed enthusiasm for the partnership.
The Crazy Taxi film will be written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, who recently worked on the 2025 Naked Gun reboot, with producers Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Sega’s Toru Nakahara. The project aligns with the upcoming Crazy Taxi: World Tour game, slated for 2027. Separately, Netflix is developing an animated Sonic series with Carlos Stevens and Nakahara, plus a live-action adaptation of Stranger Than Heaven, set in early 20th-century Japan. This multi-title deal spans comedy, kids’ animation, and crime drama, building on Netflix’s prior game adaptations like Assassin’s Creed and Gears of War.
This expanded partnership could strengthen Netflix’s position in the competitive streaming market by leveraging established gaming fandoms, potentially drawing subscribers who are nostalgic for Sega’s classic titles. It may also influence how other studios approach game-to-screen adaptations, encouraging more multi-franchise deals. For audiences, the mix of live-action and animated formats could broaden appeal across age groups, though success depends on faithful storytelling that satisfies longtime players while attracting newcomers.