Neon plans an SCP film that rivals can copy—even as it heads to theaters

The movie’s unusual deal

Neon is developing an anthology feature based on the SCP Foundation, a collaborative horror-and-science-fiction writing universe, and plans to release it theatrically in 2027. The studio says the project will showcase emerging filmmakers. deadline +1

The unusual part is the rights plan: Neon says the film and related materials will be released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike, or CC BY-SA. That license permits copying and adaptation, including commercial use, so long as users credit the creators and share adaptations under the same license. deadline +1

What the license does—and doesn’t

This is not a transfer of the SCP universe to Neon, nor a declaration that its stories are public domain. indiewire The wiki’s licensing guide says derivative works must credit the wiki and, where possible, individual authors, then be released under CC BY-SA 3.0. scp-wiki The license allows commercial reuse, but with those conditions attached. creativecommons +1

The SCP Wiki’s staff says Neon contacted it before the public announcement and that staff is satisfied the studio intends to comply. That consultation is limited: the wiki says the film is not an official SCP production, its staff is not writing or producing it, and no staff member is being paid. scp-wiki

An earlier film exposed the licensing fault line

The plan follows controversy over an A24-backed V/H/S project described as inspired by SCP. In its initial response, the wiki said it had not been contacted and that no studio could claim exclusive rights to the SCP universe. indiewire +1

IndieWire reported that the producers viewed their “worldwide rights” as applying to the existing V/H/S franchise, not SCP, and characterized the project as inspired by SCP rather than a direct adaptation. The wiki’s October 11 update says Spooky Pictures has since contacted staff and a meeting was arranged; it does not announce an outcome. indiewire +1

Neon’s approach is more explicit about the license, but the wiki also stresses that its project is not an official adaptation and does not prevent anyone else from making SCP works. hollywoodreporter +1

The 2027 release is the test

Neon has announced a theatrical year, not a specific date or a completed film. deadline +1 The official wiki statement says other creators remain free to make adaptations. scp-wiki CC BY-SA terms allow compliant copies and remixes. creativecommons

That gives the project a clear promise and an unusual practical test: to comply with its plan, a film drawing on wiki material must be released on terms that allow copying and adaptations rather than reserved exclusively for Neon. deadline +1 The rollout details and filmmaker lineup have not been announced. deadline +1