Neon is developing a new horror anthology based on the SCP Foundation, one of the internet’s largest collaborative horror universes. The studio announced the project on September 30 and is targeting a theatrical release in 2027. The movie will feature emerging filmmakers creating stories inspired by the strange creatures, objects and supernatural events that have made SCP a major part of online horror culture.
The SCP Foundation began as an internet writing project in 2008 and has grown into a huge collection of interconnected stories written by thousands of contributors. The fictional universe centers on a secret organization known as the SCP Foundation, whose mission is summarized by the words “Secure, Contain, Protect.” Its agents investigate and contain dangerous or unexplained objects, creatures, locations and other anomalies while trying to keep their existence hidden from the public.
Stories on the SCP Wiki are often presented as classified government-style reports. An entry may describe a strange object, explain how it must be contained and then reveal increasingly disturbing information through test results, incident reports or interviews. That format has helped give the project a distinctive identity and has inspired video games, short films, web series and other fan-made productions.
Neon’s movie will use an anthology format, allowing multiple filmmakers to tell separate stories within the SCP universe. The studio said the project is intended to provide opportunities for emerging filmmakers. Specific directors, stories and SCP creatures have not yet been announced.
The way Neon is handling the project is especially unusual for a major theatrical movie. The SCP Foundation operates under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license known as CC BY-SA. That license allows people to use and adapt SCP material, including commercially, as long as they follow certain requirements and release derivative material under the same license.
Neon contacted members of the SCP Wiki staff before announcing the film. According to a statement published by the SCP Foundation Wiki, Neon told the group that it wanted to make sure the production followed both the rules and the spirit of the Creative Commons license.
SCP Wiki staff said they provided Neon with advice about licensing and general information about the SCP universe. The group said it is satisfied that Neon intends to comply with the license and understands the unusual challenges involved in distributing a movie under Creative Commons terms.
That does not mean the SCP community is producing the movie. The Wiki staff emphasized that the Neon project is not an official SCP Foundation film. Staff members are not involved in writing or producing the movie, and they are not receiving payment from the production.
The Creative Commons arrangement also means Neon cannot claim exclusive ownership of the SCP Foundation universe. Other filmmakers, game developers and creators remain free to produce their own SCP projects as long as they follow the license.
That point has become particularly important because Neon is not the only studio developing an SCP movie for 2027.
A24 announced earlier in September that it had joined Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios on another feature-length SCP project. That movie is being developed as an extension of the V/H/S horror anthology series and is also targeting a theatrical release in 2027.
The A24 announcement initially described the project as the first feature-length theatrical adaptation of the SCP Foundation universe. A24 acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film, while producers associated with the V/H/S franchise are developing the project.
Shortly after that announcement, however, the SCP Wiki issued an unusual public statement explaining that its staff and authors had not been contacted about the A24 project. The group said it had attempted to reach the filmmakers but had not received a response at that time.
The Wiki also stressed that no studio can obtain exclusive rights to the overall SCP Foundation property because of the Creative Commons license governing the material. Any company can make an SCP-based project if it complies with the license.
The ShareAlike requirement creates an unusual situation for Hollywood. According to the SCP Wiki’s explanation of its license, a derivative movie based on SCP material would also have to be released under a compatible Creative Commons license. That could allow other people to copy, redistribute and even build upon the film under the terms of that license.
Traditional movie distribution normally depends heavily on controlling where and how a film can be shown. The SCP Wiki has pointed out that those restrictions can conflict with Creative Commons requirements. For example, the group says an SCP derivative cannot be distributed using technological restrictions that prevent legal copying under the license.
Neon appears to be approaching that problem directly. The company says it intends to release its SCP movie and related materials under the CC BY-SA license. The SCP Wiki praised Neon for communicating with its staff and for its willingness to work within the unusual licensing structure.
The two projects could therefore bring two very different versions of the SCP universe to theaters during the same year. Neon’s movie is being described as an anthology built around emerging filmmakers, while the A24-backed film is tied to the V/H/S franchise.
No cast has been announced for Neon’s project, and the studio has not revealed which SCP stories will appear. The online universe contains thousands of possibilities, ranging from strange objects with unusual properties to massive creatures, alternate realities and elaborate stories involving secret organizations.
The SCP Foundation is part of a broader movement in Hollywood toward adapting horror concepts that first became popular online. A24 previously found success with Backrooms, based on Kane Parsons’ internet horror project.
Warner Bros. is also developing a film based on Siren Head, the towering monster created by artist Trevor Henderson. Brian Duffield is set to direct that movie and is writing the screenplay with Zach Cregger. Siren Head became popular through online artwork, games and fan stories before attracting Hollywood attention.
The growing interest in properties such as SCP Foundation, Backrooms and Siren Head shows how internet-born horror is becoming a new source of material for major studios. Unlike traditional franchises that usually begin with a novel, movie or comic book owned by a single company, some of these projects developed through online communities and fan participation.
SCP Foundation may be the most unusual example because no single studio can simply purchase the entire property and prevent others from using it. Its Creative Commons structure was designed to let new creators continue adding to the universe.
Neon’s planned 2027 film will test whether that collaborative model can also work for a major theatrical release. If the studio follows through with its Creative Commons commitment, the movie could become one of the most unusual examples yet of a large film distributor adapting an openly licensed internet project for theaters.