SAG-AFTRA Bans Halloween Costumes Inspired by Major Studio Productions

SAG-AFTRA is cracking down on Halloween costumes in light of their ongoing strike, announcing that actors should refrain from dressing as characters from major studio productions.

As The Hollywood Reporter points out, this means many of what will surely be some of the year’s most popular Halloween costumes — yes, even Barbie and Wednesday — are no-gos to striking actors. Specifically, union members are prohibited from dressing as characters from struck content and then posting pictures of it on social media.

This rule will outlaw a lot of franchises that are oft-referenced on Halloween: Star Wars, Stranger Things, Harry Potter, Ghostbusters, and American Horror Story are just a few examples, as is anything from Marvel Studios, since that’s owned by Disney — and, oh yeah, any Disney character is off the table, too.

Instead, SAG-AFTRA suggests dressing in costumes inspired by generalized characters and figures, like a ghost, zombie, or spider. Characters from non-struck content, like animated TV shows, are also acceptable. Productions from indie studios are generally all-clear, too, meaning A24 favorites like Everything Everywhere All at Once, Midsommar, and Uncut Gems are kosher.

“Let’s use our collective power to send a loud and clear message to our struck employers that we will not promote their content without a fair contract,” the union’s statement reads. So technically, actors could dress in off-limits costumes if they aren’t seen publicly — but, come on, do you really want to be one of the thousands of Barbies and Wednesdays?

While actors are still on strike, WGA came to a deal last month with AMPTP that brought their own strike to an end.