Sega & Netflix: New adaptations announced for Crazy Taxi, Sonic and Yakuza

Speaking of which, the Sonic adaptation is set to be a kids’ animation series. Netflix and Sega had a successful partnership when it comes to Sonic Prime, a 3D animated Sonic show that ran for three seasons and concluded in 2024, so it’s no surprise that both companies are gunning for another Sonic series.

This time, the target audience is for upper pre-schoolers, and the official blurb describes the upcoming show as “a high-voltage, comedic, yet emotionally grounded series built for kids who want to feel a little edge, a little attitude, and a lot of “that’s my crew” wish fulfillment.”

The last of these announcements is perhaps the most perplexing one, not least because Stranger than Heaven isn’t even released yet. In case you missed it, Stranger than Heaven is an upcoming prequel for the entire Like a Dragon franchise, set in Japan across a time period of 50 years in the 20th century. The game is slated for release on 15 January 2027.

Given that Yakuza has a large devout fanbase, it’s understandable (and indeed overdue) that Sega would try to give the franchise another shot at a feature length adaptation. And yes, I meant ‘another’ shot; the last attempt at a Yazkua film was 2007’s Like a Dragon, about 20 years ago.

And true to the mood of the franchise, Sega and Netflix have billed the Stranger than Heaven adaptation as a “live-action crime” flick.

Unfortunately, Sega has not announced when these adaptations will arrive. But these announcements have confirmed that they’re in development, and are now amongst the long list of video game adaptations that Netflix is working on across multiple game franchises. This includes a live-action Assassin’s Creed series, a Gears of War movie, and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.