Netflix and SEGA announce Crazy Taxi and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN films, Sonic the Hedgehog animated series

Netflix will develop film adaptations of SEGA‘s Crazy Taxi franchise and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN game, and a new animated Sonic the Hedgehog kids’ series, the companies announced.

The Crazy Taxi film will be written by Dan Gregor and Doug Man, who were behind the 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun, with Original Film’s Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher and SEGA’s Toru Nakahara set to produce.

The STANGER THAN HEAVEN film will be produced by Toru Nakahara.

The new Sonic the Hedgehog animated series is in development with Carlos Stevens and Toru Nakahara, and will present Sonic and friends as heroes for an upper pre-school audience. It is described as “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’s wish fulfillment.”

“Great games already have what every adaptation is chasing—characters people love, worlds they know by heart, and fandoms that show up,” said Netflix vice president of nonfiction and transmedia Brandon Riegg in a statement. “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.”

SEGA head producer Toru Nakahara added, “Expect something cute yet cool for Sonic, hilariously crazy for Crazy Taxi and a badass action drama for STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, because we’ve got some amazing creative ideas lined up and we are just getting started. The whole team is absolutely thrilled!”

Original Film’s Neal H. Moritz and Toby 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.”

SEGA president and chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi said, “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. 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.”

Thanks, Variety.