Crazy Taxi is becoming a feature film, through a joint adaptation project from Netflix and Sega.
The adaptation was announced Monday in a press release from Netflix and Sega, as part of a larger multi-title partnership that includes new Sonic and Stranger Than Heaven projects.
The three titles span from very distinct corners of Sega’s catalog: a live-action comedy for Crazy Taxi, youth-focused animation for Sonic, and live-action crime-drama for Stranger Than Heaven. The range of genres, according to Netflix and Sega, reflects both the breadth of Sega’s catalog and Netflix’s depth of experience transforming game worlds into wildly popular franchises for audiences across the globe.
Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the screenwriting duo behind the 2025 Naked Gun reboot, will be taking on the Crazy Taxi adaptation. The film will be produced by Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara.
“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 producers Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher in a press release. “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.”
Since its 1999 arcade debut, Crazy Taxi has been putting players behind the wheel of a fearless cabbie racing the clock through chaotic city streets. Players fly off ramps, dodging traffic, and chasing tips with punk-rock energy that became the series’ signature aesthetic. The latest title in the franchise, Crazy Taxi: World Tour, is scheduled for release in 2027.
Netflix is framing the deal as a bet on built-in fandom: “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 their press release earlier this morning. “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.” Riegg’s excitement around the announcement is largely rooted in the new opportunities that come with these games’ built-in fandoms.
Shuji Utsumi, President and Chief Operating Officer of Sega, shares Riegg’s sentiment: “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.” Utsumi also elaborated on why Sega chose to work with Netflix specifically, noting that “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.”
Sonic’s next chapter on Netflix will take the form of an animated series directed toward an upper-preschool audience. The new animated series, currently in development with Carlos Stevens and Toru Nakahara, will present Sonic and his friends as heroes for kids who wants “feel a little edge, attitude and a lot of ‘that’s my crew’ wish fulfillment.” Netflix describes the tone of the series as high-voltage and comedic, yet emotionally grounded. Three seasons of Netflix’s Sonic Prime are also now available to stream only on Netflix.
Stranger Than Heaven, developed by RGG Studio of Like a Dragon/Yakuza fame, is headed for a live-action adaptation. The series is set in early 20th-century Japan, following a foreigner who claws his way from destitute stranger to feared yakuza to entertainment tycoon.
These three Sega titles join an already-crowded Netflix game-adaptation slate. Sega is only the latest in game studios to enter adaptation deals, with Netflix’s catalog now including Assassin’s Creed, Gears of War, Minecraft, Magic: The Gathering, Clash of Clans, Overcooked, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners S2, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch S2 and Devil May Cry S3.