Sega and Netflix have formed a multi-title partnership to adapt Crazy Taxi, Sonic, and Stranger Than Heaven.
The first project is a Crazy Taxi film adaptation, written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, known for The Naked Gun reboot. Sonic franchise producers Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara will serve as producers.
Stranger Than Heaven will also be adapted into a live-action crime film, produced by Nakahara.
The Sonic franchise will launch a new animated series for an “upper pre-school audience”. It will join Netflix’s existing animated Sonic show, Sonic Prime, which premiered in 2022.
“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 Sega president and COO Shuji Utsumi.
“The fandoms of these games deserve storytelling that honours what makes each title special, and we know Netflix shares that commitment. This is just the start of what these titles can become.”
Brandon Riegg, VP of nonfiction and transmedia at Netflix, added: “With Crazy Taxi, Sonic, and Stranger Than Heaven, we get to work across three completely different eras of Sega’s catalogue, celebrating everything fans love, while introducing them to new audiences.”
Sega adaptations will join Netflix’s lineup of video game adaptations, which includes Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Devil May Cry, a live-action Assassin’s Creed series, and a Gears of War film, as well as series based on Minecraft, Magic: The Gathering, Clash of Clans, and Overcooked.
Rockstar recently partnered with Netflix to present an exclusive 30-minute extended gameplay preview of Grand Theft Auto 6.
The event reached 31.1 million views on Netflix within four days and generated over 100,000 sign-ups during its six-hour exclusivity window.