SEGA bringing Sonic animated series, Crazy Taxi movie, and Stranger Than Heaven film to Netflix

SEGA and Netflix have announced three new adaptations of SEGA games: a live-action Crazy Taxi film, a live-action film based on the upcoming RGG Studio game Stranger Than Heaven, and a new Sonic the Hedgehog animated series. The projects were announced on September 14, 2026 as part of a multi-title collaboration between the two companies. No release windows have been given for any of them.

Crazy Taxi

The Crazy Taxi film is being developed as a live-action comedy, described as “hilariously crazy.” It is written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, who co-wrote the 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun. Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher of Original Film are producing alongside SEGA’s Toru Nakahara, the same producing team behind Paramount’s live-action Sonic films.

Crazy Taxi first appeared in arcades in 1999 and became one of the Dreamcast’s signature games, built around racing passengers across a city against the clock. Its simple premise and loud personality make it a natural fit for a comedy.

Stranger Than Heaven

Stranger Than Heaven is the most unusual choice, because the game itself has not yet been released. It is being developed by RGG Studio, the team behind the Yakuza and Like a Dragon series, and was first shown in 2023 under the working title Project Century. The Netflix film is planned as a live-action “badass action drama,” with Nakahara producing. Adapting a game before it launches suggests SEGA sees the project as a new franchise it wants to build across media from the start.

A new Sonic animated series

The new Sonic series is being developed by Carlos Stevens and Toru Nakahara and is aimed at younger viewers, specifically an upper pre-school audience. It aims to present Sonic and his friends as heroes with “high-voltage, comedic, yet emotionally grounded” stories. It joins a growing list of Sonic screen projects, which includes the three live-action films, the Knuckles series and a fourth film currently scheduled for 2027.

Why it matters

Sonic’s box office success has shown SEGA that its games can work outside consoles, and this deal extends that approach to both classic and brand-new properties. Netflix gives the projects a global audience from day one, including viewers across the Middle East, where Netflix is widely available with Arabic subtitles and dubbing on many titles.

For fans, the practical takeaway is that these are early announcements. Without release windows or casting, it will likely be some time before any of the three projects reaches the service. The Stranger Than Heaven game is also worth watching on its own, since the film will depend on how well the original story lands with players.