99 Halloween Costume Ideas Inspired By Movies and TV Shows

split image of ella purnell in fallout, reese witherspoon in legally blonde, zendaya in dune 2, and sarah jessica parker in sex and the city

(Image credit: Alamy)

last updated 1 October 2024

I don't know about you, but I've been counting down the days to Halloween 2024 since November 1 of last year. It's the one night a year I can show off my love of the best-ever movies and TV shows via a spot-on Halloween costume without looking like an over-enthusiastic fanatic. But even if you're not as obsessed with pop culture as I am (totally understandable!), turning to iconic on-screen characters can help get the inspiration flowing if you're in need of a last-minute costume.

Whether your grand plans for October 31 include bingeing scary movies or attending a fabulous costume party, dressing up as one of your favorite TV or movie characters for Halloween is a low-lift way to pretend you're someone else for a night. Maybe you want to live out your Emily in Paris dream with a French-inspired outfit. Or maybe your go-to little black dress inspired a slew of Halloween costumes like Wednesday Addams from Wednesday or Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's. In any case, there are plenty of Halloween costume ideas from both the small and silver screens.

Ahead, we’ve rounded up our favorite options for your 2024 Halloween escapades, inspired by characters from movies and TV shows, both old and new. Not only do these make great conversation starters, but they can get your loved ones involved, too. Why not grab your best friend for a Halloween costume or take your love of movies to work with a group costume?

Wednesday Addams from 'Wednesday'

Ariel from 'The Little Mermaid'

Wanda Maximoff from 'WandaVision'

Barbie from 'Barbie'

Shiv Roy from 'Succession'

Jennifer Check from 'Jennifer's Body'

Fran from 'The Nanny'

Nami from 'One Piece'

The Bride from 'Kill Bill: Vol. 1'

C.J. from 'Baywatch'

Casey from 'Scream'

Mia Thermopolis from 'The Princess Diaries'

Gwen Stacy from 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'

Satine from 'Moulin Rouge!'

Principal Ava from 'Abbott Elementary'

Carrie from 'Carrie'

Juliet from 'Romeo + Juliet'

Rhaenyra Targaryen from 'House of the Dragon'

Alicent Hightower from 'House of the Dragon'

Sydney from 'The Bear'

Tashi Duncan from 'Challengers'

Meredith Blake from 'The Parent Trap'

Vivian from 'Pretty Woman'

Mabel from 'Only Murders in the Building'

Kate from 'Twisters'

Galadriel from 'The Rings of Power'

Marie Antoinette from 'Marie Antoinette'

Lizzie McGuire from 'The Lizzie McGuire Movie'

Cassandra from 'Promising Young Woman'

Leeloo from 'The Fifth Element'

Sally from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'

Olive from 'Easy A'

Chani from 'Dune 2'

Alice from 'Closer'

Padme from 'Star Wars: Attack of the Clones'

Lucy from 'Fallout'

(Image credit: AJ Pics / Alamy Stock Photo)

Neytiri from 'Avatar'

Trinity from 'The Matrix'

Columbia from 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'

Catwoman from 'The Batman'

Giselle from 'Enchanted'

Jessica Day from 'New Girl'

Poison Ivy from 'Batman & Robin'

Lara Croft from 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'

Moira Rose from 'Schitt's Creek'

Emily Cooper from 'Emily in Paris'

Cruella De Vil from 'Cruella'

Daphne Bridgerton from 'Bridgerton'

Midge Maisel from 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'

Regina George from ‘Mean Girls’

Young Queen Elizabeth in 'The Crown'

Torrance from 'Bring it On'

Phoebe Waller-Bridge in 'Fleabag'

Penny Lane from 'Almost Famous'

Hellen Parr (Elastigirl) from ‘Incredibles 2’

Margot Tenenbaum from ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’

Harley Quinn from ‘Suicide Squad’

Rachel Green from ‘Friends’

Dorothy from the ‘Wizard of Oz’

Princess Leia from ‘Star Wars’

Barb Wire from 'Barb Wire'

Winifred Sanderson from ‘Hocus Pocus’

Fembot from 'Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'

Holly Golightly from ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’

Nina from ‘Black Swan’

Claire from ‘The Breakfast Club’

Carrie Bradshaw from ‘Sex and the City’

Blair Waldorf from ‘Gossip Girl’

Lisa from 'Lisa Frankenstein'

Furiosa from 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'

Ilana from ‘Broad City’

Hannah Montana from 'Hannah Montana'

Joy from 'Inside Out'

Elle Woods from ‘Legally Blonde’

Daisy Buchanan from ‘The Great Gatsby’

Princess Peach in 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie'

Belle from ‘Beauty and the Beast’

Mia Wallace from ‘Pulp Fiction’

Lucy Gray Baird from 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes'

Sandy from ‘Grease’

Cher Horowitz from ‘Clueless’

Cleopatra from ‘Cleopatra’

Marilyn from ‘Love, Marilyn’

Daisy from 'Daisy Jones and the Six'

Maxine from 'MaXXXine"

Priscilla Presley from 'Priscilla'

Barbarella from 'Barbarella'

Bella Baxter from 'Poor Things'

Lydia Deetz from 'Beetlejuice'

Gracie Hart from 'Miss Congeniality'

Tonia Haddix from 'Chimp Crazy'

Elizabeth Zott from 'Lessons in Chemistry'

Elphaba from 'Wicked'

Glinda from 'Wicked'

Jenna Rink from '13 Going on 30'

Suki from '2 Fast 2 Furious'

Aquamarine from 'Aquamarine'

Yasmin, Jade, Cloe, and Sasha from 'Bratz'

Brooke Knappenberger is the Associate Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she specializes in crafting shopping stories—from sales content to buying guides that span every vertical on the site. She also oversees holiday coverage with an emphasis on gifting guides as well as Power Pick, our monthly column on the items that power the lives of MC’s editors. She also tackled shopping content as Marie Claire's Editorial Fellow prior to her role as Associate Commerce Editor.

She has over three years of experience writing on fashion, beauty, and entertainment and her work has appeared on Looper, NickiSwift, The Sun US, and Vox Magazine of Columbia, Missouri. Brooke obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism with an emphasis on Magazine Editing and has a minor in Textile and Apparel Management.