Neon Will Make a Truly Open-Source SCP Movie After A24 Controversy

Neon reportedly announced plans on August 15, 2025, to finance and distribute a rival, openly licensed SCP Foundation movie after A24 acquired adaptation rights to the internet fiction project in March 2024.

The details below are based on leaks and supply-chain reports and have not yet been officially confirmed. The project is intended to follow the SCP community’s licensing rules rather than treat its collaborative fiction as conventional studio-owned material.

The A24 SCP Controversy Began in 2024

A24 acquired the rights to adapt the SCP Foundation into a feature film on March 14, 2024. The decision placed a large film studio inside a creative ecosystem built around shared authorship, community moderation and the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence, commonly known as CC BY-SA.

The dispute reportedly intensified after A24 unveiled an SCP-based entry connected to the V/H/S horror franchise without first contacting the SCP Wiki team. Community administrators criticised the approach and warned that an adaptation could face licensing restrictions if it did not preserve the project’s open-use terms. That conflict matters because SCP stories are not the property of one author. Writers contribute entries to a shared fictional universe, while the licence allows others to build on that work under defined conditions. A studio can therefore make an adaptation, but it must respect the same sharing obligations attached to the material it uses.

Neon’s Open-Source SCP Plan Takes Shape

The rival project was reportedly announced on August 15, 2025, as an anthology movie based on horror fiction created by the SCP community. Its planned structure could allow several stories, creatures and filmmakers to appear within one feature instead of forcing the entire universe into a single linear narrative.

The film is also designed to showcase emerging directors and creators from the SCP community. That approach could give the production a closer relationship with its source material, although the finished work will not be an “official” SCP movie because SCP Wiki staff are not producing it. Industry reports dated October 1, 2026, reportedly put the production budget at $45 million. That figure would place the project well above the scale of a typical online horror adaptation, while remaining below the budgets associated with major franchise blockbusters. It also suggests that the studio is treating the licence and community relationship as part of the production strategy, not as a late legal adjustment. For more detail, see VentureBeat AI.

David F. Sandberg Is Attached to Direct

David F. Sandberg was reportedly confirmed by the studio on September 10, 2026, to direct the feature. His appointment connects the project to a filmmaker with experience in studio horror and supernatural material, though the film’s individual stories, cast and final format remain undisclosed. Principal photography is scheduled to begin in Vancouver, Canada, on November 5, 2026.

The theatrical release is scheduled for July 20, 2027, in North American cinemas. Those future dates could still change because production schedules, post-production work and distribution plans are not final until the studio confirms them through completed production milestones. The central question is whether the movie can be commercially accessible while remaining genuinely open-source. A CC BY-SA release would require adaptations and derivative material to preserve compatible sharing terms, which could affect promotional assets, international distribution agreements and future franchise plans.

What This Means for SCP Fans and Filmmakers

The project creates a direct contrast with the A24 dispute. Instead of relying on the popularity of SCP stories while keeping the adaptation inside a closed studio system, the production is being positioned around creator participation and licensing transparency. That model could help filmmakers adapt SCP entries with clearer permission pathways.

It could also encourage new directors to contribute original stories that can circulate under the same licence, extending the community’s collaborative structure beyond the film itself. For audiences, the key issue is not simply whether the movie reaches cinemas in 2027. The bigger test will be whether the final release credits its creators, preserves the CC BY-SA framework and explains which parts are original additions. The SCP movie will be judged as much by its licensing choices as by its monsters.

FAQs

What is the SCP Foundation?

The SCP Foundation is a collaborative online fiction project built from shared horror, science-fiction and paranormal entries created by multiple writers.

What licence governs SCP Foundation stories?

SCP material is generally associated with the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence, which requires attribution and compatible sharing for derivative work.

Who will direct the movie?

David F. Sandberg was reportedly confirmed to direct the upcoming feature, subject to the production moving forward as scheduled.

When is the movie scheduled to release?

The theatrical release is scheduled for July 20, 2027, in North American cinemas. Source: Engadget