Ethan Carter
Hollywood is increasingly sourcing inspiration from online narratives, with A24’s Backrooms by Kane Parsons being a recent example. The latest trend involves studios exploring the horror fiction community at the SCP Foundation, revealing both the potential benefits and pitfalls of engaging with this unique group.
On the negative side, A24 faced backlash when it announced a V/H/S film inspired by the SCP Foundation without consulting the SCP Wiki team or committing to an open-source license, which is a requirement. This oversight drew criticism from community members and led to a cautionary message from the SCP Wiki’s administrative team regarding licensing protocols.
Responding to this controversy, distributor Neon, known for films like Parasite and Anora, decided to take a more collaborative approach. The studio revealed plans to create an anthology film inspired by the horror narratives of the SCP Foundation. Notably, Neon reached out to the SCP Wiki’s admin team and committed to producing the film under the required Creative Commons ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. The film is expected to hit theaters next year.
This upcoming film aims to highlight emerging filmmakers and showcase the creativity of the SCP Foundation community. it is important to note that this will not be classified as an “official” SCP film since the production team does not include any members from the SCP staff, and there will be no financial compensation involved. the SCP Foundation will not endorse the film to remain compliant with its own guidelines.
“The staff of the SCP Foundation Wiki and our community appreciate Neon’s excellent communication and commitment to adhering to our licensing requirements, as well as fostering the spirit of collaboration that is central to the SCP Foundation project,” stated the SCP Wiki admin team. In a subsequent message, the admins expressed their concerns regarding A24’s film and indicated their willingness to engage in discussions with A24, Spooky Pictures, and other stakeholders about how they can create and distribute a film in compliance with the CC BY-SA license.
For those unfamiliar, the SCP Wiki was established in 2008, centered around the fictional SCP Foundation, a covert organization dedicated to researching hazardous supernatural entities for the benefit of humanity. Each SCP object is assigned a unique page and number. Notable examples include SCP-173, a menacing concrete statue that remains immobile as long as it is being observed. Other intriguing entities include SCP-096, known as The Shy Guy, a tall and unsettling humanoid that becomes violent if anyone gazes upon its face, and SCP-3008, an endless dimension resembling an IKEA store, complete with hostile staff members.
Daniel Mercer
Brandon Fletcher
