A24’s planned V/H/S: SCP film has triggered a public dispute with the SCP Foundation, which says it was not consulted and that the studio cannot claim exclusive control over the wider universe.
The project was reported as a collaboration between A24, Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios. Described as an untitled extension of the V/H/S horror anthology series, the film is set to be called V/H/S: SCP and has been associated with a 2027 theatrical release.
The project was first announced by Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios in July 2026. A24 later described its deal as covering “worldwide rights to the project”.
Image: SCP Foundation / Tyrastafr
Why the SCP Foundation objects
In an official statement, SCP Foundation staff and authors said the organisation had not been contacted about the announcement, despite attempts to reach the filmmakers directly.
The statement also argues that A24 “does not and cannot have any exclusive rights” to SCP-related material. SCPs, characters, concepts and other elements of the collaborative universe are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 licence, commonly known as CC BY-SA 3.0.
That licence allows people to use, adapt and commercially distribute covered material, provided they follow its conditions. New adaptations must remain available under the same licence, and users cannot add legal or technological restrictions that prevent others from exercising the permissions granted by Creative Commons.
What the licence could mean for the film
The Foundation says those conditions could prevent A24 from distributing V/H/S: SCP with digital rights management or other effective technological measures designed to stop copying.
It further says that a commercial streaming platform could show the film without paying A24, and that someone could upload a copy to YouTube. The BY-SA 3.0 licence terms explain the relevant restrictions and the requirement to share adaptations under the same licence.
Those claims concern the obligations attached to SCP material, rather than a definitive legal ruling about the completed production. The practical result could depend on how the film is made, which elements it uses and how the licence is interpreted and enforced.
Why enforcement is a concern
The SCP community has faced an earlier dispute involving an attempt to control the Foundation’s name and logo. In 2019, Russian national Andrey Duksin filed a trademark covering the SCP Foundation name and logo and used it to restrict SCP product sales in Russia.
The Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service ruled in the Foundation’s favour in 2021, and the trademark was dissolved in 2022. The Foundation had crowdfunded legal costs during that fight, raising concerns about the expense of any future dispute with a much larger film company.
There is also a recent point of sensitivity involving A24 and the Backrooms community. Earlier in 2026, copyright strikes were issued against games, artwork and videos connected with the Backrooms universe. A24 later withdrew the strikes, saying they had been automated and that the company did not claim ownership of community works built around that universe.
For creators who turn shared fictional worlds into games, videos or other gaming projects, the dispute highlights how important licensing terms can be. Anyone planning a physical cabinet, DIY arcade build or fan-made interactive work should check the applicable licence rather than assume that commercial use automatically provides exclusive rights.
A24 says the film is intended as a tribute
In a later response, an A24 spokesperson said the company was not claiming the right to stop other people from creating SCP-based works. The studio said its “worldwide rights” relate to the next film in the V/H/S franchise, not exclusive ownership of the SCP Foundation universe or its concepts.
“The project is in development and is meant as a tribute to the community that created this world,” the statement said.
The film remains in development. For now, the disagreement centres on how a commercially produced anthology entry can operate within a collaborative, share-alike fictional universe—and how those rules would apply if the finished film reaches cinemas and streaming platforms.
Readers interested in the practical side of building interactive horror experiences can also explore arcade machines and the wider arcade video collection.
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