Netflix and Sega Team Up for a Live-Action ‘Crazy Taxi’ Movie From ‘The Naked Gun’ Writers

Video game adaptations have become one of Hollywood’s most reliable bets in recent years, with studios increasingly mining beloved franchises for built-in audiences and nostalgic goodwill. Netflix has been steadily building its own footprint in that space, and its latest move signals an even deeper commitment to gaming IP than fans might have expected.

That commitment centers on a newly announced partnership with Sega, one of the industry’s most storied publishers, whose library spans everything from arcade classics to modern action titles. The deal builds on Netflix’s prior success adapting Sonic the Hedgehog properties, expanding the relationship into entirely new corners of Sega’s catalog.

The centerpiece of that expanded partnership is a live-action film adaptation of ‘Crazy Taxi,‘ Sega’s long-running racing game that first launched in arcades back in 1999. The game built its reputation on chaotic, high-speed gameplay, putting players behind the wheel of a fearless cabbie flying off ramps, dodging traffic, and racing the clock to chase down tips with a distinctly punk-rock energy.

Writing duties on the adaptation fall to Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the screenwriting team behind 2025’s critically praised reboot of ‘The Naked Gun.’ Producing the project are Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher of Original Film, alongside Sega’s Toru Nakahara, the same trio behind the studio’s successful ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ film franchise.

The ‘Crazy Taxi’ movie isn’t the only project coming out of this new collaboration. Netflix and Sega also announced a new animated ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ series aimed at an upper preschool audience, developed by Carlos Stevens and Nakahara, along with a live-action film adaptation of “Stranger Than Heaven,” an upcoming action-adventure game from RGG Studio that serves as an early twentieth-century Japan-set prequel within the “Like a Dragon” franchise.

Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of Nonfiction and Transmedia, framed the partnership as an opportunity to tap into distinct eras of Sega’s history all at once. Great games already have everything an adaptation chases, he said, pointing to characters audiences already love, worlds fans know by heart, and fandoms that consistently show up, adding that working across ‘Crazy Taxi,’ ‘Sonic,’ and ‘Stranger Than Heaven’ lets Netflix celebrate everything longtime fans love while introducing those properties to new audiences.

That range reflects a deliberate strategy on Netflix’s part, spanning live-action comedy, kids’ animation, and live-action crime storytelling within a single multi-title deal. For Sega, the timing lines up neatly with the franchise’s continued momentum in gaming as well, with the next mainline installment, “Crazy Taxi: World Tour,” set to release next year.

Choosing Gregor and Mand for the ‘Crazy Taxi’ script suggests Netflix is leaning into the game’s inherently comedic, over-the-top premise rather than attempting a more straightforward action treatment. Given the writing duo’s recent success reinvigorating a well-worn comedy franchise with ‘The Naked Gun,’ that approach could be exactly what a property built around reckless taxi driving and outlandish stunts needs to translate successfully to the screen.

With three separate projects now in development across very different corners of Sega’s history, this partnership represents one of Netflix’s more ambitious gaming-adjacent bets yet. Fans of the chaotic arcade racer will have to wait for further details on casting, plot, and release timing, but the wheels are officially in motion for Crazy Taxi’s live-action debut.

Sega executives have also expressed enthusiasm about the scope of the collaboration, noting the streamer’s track record of treating adapted material across formats with genuine craft. That kind of mutual confidence between the two companies suggests this partnership is built for the long haul rather than a one-off licensing arrangement, with room for the relationship to grow well beyond these initial three announced projects.

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