Sega is expanding its video game adaptations with a new Crazy Taxi movie in development at Netflix. The project is being handled by Original Films and Toru Nakahara, who previously produced the Sonic the Hedgehog films and associated television series.
According to Variety, Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, writers known for their work on the upcoming Naked Gun reboot, are penning the script for the Crazy Taxi comedy. Neal H. Moritz and Toby Ascher of Original Films expressed excitement about continuing their partnership with Sega and bringing the game to a new medium. "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," they stated.
Beyond Crazy Taxi, Sega and Netflix are also collaborating on another animated Sonic television series and a film adaptation of the unreleased game Stranger Than Heaven. The announcement follows a recent hands-on preview of Crazy Taxi: World Tour, a potential game revival that has yet to fully convince critics.
The adaptation of Crazy Taxi into a movie marks another step in Sega's strategy to leverage its intellectual property across different entertainment formats, following the successful cinematic releases of Sonic the Hedgehog. However, the article notes a concern that Netflix's prolific adaptation strategy could potentially dilute the quality of future video game movie projects.