Netflix and Sega announced three new screen adaptations on September 14, 2026: a live-action “Crazy Taxi” comedy, a live-action “Stranger Than Heaven” crime drama, and a new Sonic the Hedgehog animated series for preschoolers. All three reunite Sega producer Toru Nakahara with the team behind the billion-dollar live-action Sonic movies, though no release dates have been set for any of them.
The news broke September 14, 2026, when Deadline first reported the deal, with Variety, Anime News Network and Gematsu confirming the details within hours.
What Netflix and Sega Just Announced
Netflix and Sega unveiled a three-project slate on September 14, 2026, spanning two live-action films and one animated series — the biggest expansion of Sega’s screen ambitions since the original live-action Sonic movie launched in 2020.
Crazy Taxi is a live-action comedy film. It’s written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the screenwriting duo behind 2025’s “The Naked Gun” reboot and Disney’s “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.” Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher of Original Film are producing alongside Sega head producer Toru Nakahara — the same producing pair, Moritz and Nakahara, behind the live-action Sonic franchise.
Stranger Than Heaven is a live-action crime and action drama, also produced by Nakahara. It’s based on an upcoming video game from RGG Studio, the developer behind the “Like a Dragon”/“Yakuza” series, set in early 20th-century Japan and following a foreigner who rises from poverty to become a feared yakuza boss and eventually an entertainment tycoon. The source game launches January 15, 2027 — meaning the film adaptation was announced before the game itself has even shipped.
The third project is a new Sonic the Hedgehog animated series for Netflix, aimed at “upper preschoolers” and distinct from the theatrical Sonic movies. It’s produced by Carlos Stevens, known for “Love, Death + Robots,” alongside Nakahara.
Netflix VP of Games Brandon Riegg framed the slate around the strength of the source material:
Great games already have what every adaptation is chasing — characters people love, worlds they know by heart, and fandoms that show up.
Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of Games
Nakahara, describing the tonal range across the three projects, said:
Expect something cute yet cool for Sonic, hilariously crazy for Crazy Taxi and a badass action drama for STRANGER THAN HEAVEN.
Toru Nakahara, Sega
| Title | Medium | Genre / Tone | Key Creative Names | Source Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crazy Taxi | Live-action film | Comedy | Writers Dan Gregor & Doug Mand; producers Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara | Sega’s Crazy Taxi arcade racing series |
| Stranger Than Heaven | Live-action film | Crime / action drama | Produced by Toru Nakahara | RGG Studio’s Stranger Than Heaven (game launches January 15, 2027) |
| Sonic the Hedgehog (new series) | Animated series | Family / preschool adventure-comedy | Produced by Carlos Stevens & Toru Nakahara | Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog franchise |
Why Now: Sonic’s Billion-Dollar Box Office and a Repeat Producing Team
The timing isn’t a coincidence. Sega is doubling down on screen adaptations specifically because the live-action Sonic movie franchise has been a runaway hit: the three Sonic films have crossed $1 billion combined at the worldwide box office — “Sonic the Hedgehog” (2020) made $320 million, “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” (2022) made $405 million, and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” (2025) added roughly $490 million worldwide, a milestone Deadline reported in January 2025. A fourth Sonic film is already dated for March 19, 2027.
That box office success is the clearest explanation for why Netflix and Sega are reusing the exact same producers, Nakahara and Moritz, for a second and third game-to-screen bet. The real story here isn’t a scattershot slate — it’s the same producing team replicating a proven playbook across three very different games and target audiences: comedy for adults with Crazy Taxi, a gritty crime drama for adults with Stranger Than Heaven, and a spinoff aimed at toddlers with the new Sonic series. Sega is hedging across tones and age brackets rather than repeating Sonic’s exact formula a fourth time.
For more on the broader wave of games making the jump to film and TV, see our roundup of 15 upcoming video game TV and movie adaptations and our breakdown of the Golden Axe trailer, another Sega property currently getting the adaptation treatment.
What’s Still Unknown
None of the three projects has a release date. Netflix and Sega did not name cast for Crazy Taxi or Stranger Than Heaven, nor did they announce a director for either film. Stranger Than Heaven is adapted from a game that hasn’t launched yet — RGG Studio’s title ships January 15, 2027, so the film was greenlit and announced before its source material reached players.
It’s also Netflix and Sega’s second collaboration, not their first: the pair previously worked together on the animated series Sonic Prime, which ran three seasons. Whether the new Sonic show shares any creative DNA with Sonic Prime beyond the character himself has not been detailed. Anime News Network noted the deal builds on that earlier partnership rather than starting from scratch. Readers who want the fuller context of Netflix’s own game-adaptation slate can also see our coverage of the Diablo animated series Netflix confirmed at BlizzCon 2026, announced the same week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Netflix and Sega announce on September 14, 2026?
Netflix and Sega announced three new screen adaptations: a live-action Crazy Taxi comedy film, a live-action Stranger Than Heaven crime drama, and a new Sonic the Hedgehog animated series aimed at preschoolers. Deadline broke the story, with Variety, Anime News Network and Gematsu confirming the same day.
Is the new slate connected to the live-action Sonic movies?
Yes. The new Sonic series and the Stranger Than Heaven film are both produced by Sega’s Toru Nakahara, and Crazy Taxi is produced by Nakahara alongside Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher — the same Moritz/Nakahara team behind the live-action Sonic movie franchise, which has crossed $1 billion worldwide across its three films.
What is Stranger Than Heaven?
Stranger Than Heaven is an upcoming video game from RGG Studio, the developer behind the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series. It’s set in early 20th-century Japan and follows a foreigner who rises from poverty to become a feared yakuza boss and eventually an entertainment tycoon. The game launches January 15, 2027, and Netflix’s live-action film adaptation is produced by Toru Nakahara.
Who is writing and producing the Crazy Taxi movie?
Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, the screenwriting duo behind 2025’s The Naked Gun reboot and Disney’s Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, are writing Crazy Taxi. Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher of Original Film are producing alongside Sega’s Toru Nakahara.
When will these three projects be released?
No release dates have been announced for Crazy Taxi, Stranger Than Heaven, or the new Sonic series. No cast or director has been named for either film as of this writing.
