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Halloween and, in turn, the time for costume planning, is upon us. With only a little over 50 days left to shop and prepare, major retailers have their themed decor and outfits out on store shelves, with some already struggling to keep the more popular items in stock.
Between Halloween collection previews, Google Trends search data and some help from forecasting service Granularity, we already have insights into what is likely to be extra popular this Halloween season – both in the realm of decor and costumes.
From a memeified JoJo Siwa and brand new Beetlejuice to Broadway witches and superheroes, this year’s top Halloween costume trends are shaping up to be heavy on the pop culture moments, and new movie and television releases.
Here’s a look at what we’re already seeing breakout on the search charts.
Movies
This year is shaping up to be a pretty big one for movie releases with huge costume potential. Here are some currently at the forefront of Google Trends searches for costumes.
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice has been a staple of Halloween since its original 1998 film release thanks to its iconic characters and unmistakable looks, such as the signature pinstripe costume worn by the titular character or the red wedding dress originally donned by Winona Ryder.
Expect to see more Beetlejuice than ever this year thanks to Tim Burton’s horror comedy sequel “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” released in theatres Friday. Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara returned to reprise their roles as Beetlejuice, Lydia and Delia, meaning fans will likely flock towards costumes that are consistent with their original and returning appearances.
Spirit Halloween has a special line of costumes reflecting both the 1998 and 2004 flicks. You can check out the pinstripe suit pictured above for $59.99 here or an adult Lydia’s wedding dress for $59.99 here.
Ghostbusters
Another spooky comedy and Halloween standard re-hashed in 2024, “Ghost Busters,” is sure to make a strong showing this year.
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” premiered in March 2024, starring return cast members from the previous 2021 film, “Afterlife,” including Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, and Logan Kim. Some OG cast members appeared in the film as well, including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and William Atherton.
“Ghostbusters” costumes are simple, classic and everywhere, like this Party City adult jumpsuit for $49.99, this one for $54.99 or this kids’ marshmallow man costume for $44.99.
‘Wicked’ witches
Buzz around the film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical “Wicked” is growing as the November 2024 release date inches closer.
Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the first half of the two-part epic is set to release just before Thanksgiving. Trailers showing Erivo in full green-skinned Elphaba costume and Grande decked out in a sparkly pink G(a)linda gown have surely inspired new and old fans alike.
Target has several Wicked costume options, including new iterations that match the upcoming film. The kids’ version of the new Elphaba costume pictured above can be found for $35 here and the adult size for $45 here. Glinda’s new kid-sized costume sells for $35 here and the adult version is $45 here.
Deadpool and Wolverine
Marvel’s July release of “Deadpool & Wolverine” starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman blew box office doors off their hinges, grossing billions worldwide upon opening.
Superheros are already pretty ubiquitous when it comes to Halloween dress-up, but this year will be exceptionally Deadpool and Wolverine-focused. And, according to search trends, we very well may be seeing plenty of dogs dressed in the theme as well.
You can find a movie-true Wolverine costume from Spirit Halloween for $59.99 here, a Deadpool suit for $49.99 here and a Ladypool costume for $54.99 here.
Descendants
“Descendants: The Rise of Red,” the fourth film in the Disney-produced teen fantasy franchise, was released in July and is ripe for the picking when it comes to cool and colorful looks. With fairytale characters and magic to go around, there is no way fans of the show will let an opportunity to emulate their favorite characters pass.
Party City offers an entire family line of “Descendants 4” costumes, including this kids’ Red costume for $44.99, this kids’ Chloe costume for $44.99, this adult Cinderella costume for $69.99 and this adult Queen of Hearts dress for $74.99.
Inside Out 2
“Inside Out 2,” released in June, made billions at the box office, making it one of the more successful Pixar sequels theaters have seen. Chock full of returning favorites and a few new friends, the heartfelt coming-of-age movie holds a special place for plenty of adults and kids alike.
With the enduring popularity of the original “Inside Out” amplified by a new release, there should be plenty of Joys, Sadnesses, Fears, Disgusts, Angers, Anxietys, Envys and Embarrassments running around this Halloween. Some Rileys, dads, moms and even Bing Bongs may make appearances as well.
Target has a few cute options, including this kids’ Joy costume for $63.93, an adult Fear costume for $88.93 here and this kids’ Sadness costume for $39.99.
Terrifier
Like the year the new version of Stephen King’s “It” was released, you can probably expect to see a decent amount of creepy clowns out at the bars in 2024. If you went to a costume contest in 2017, you saw at least one “Pennywise” with such detailed makeup, you couldn’t be mad it was the third such costume you’d seen win that weekend alone.
This year, the creepy killer clown is “Art” from the “Terrifier” franchise. While “Terrifier 2” was released two years ago, Art’s popularity has only grown since then, and with a Christmas-themed “Terrifier 3” set to premiere this October, his legend is as alive as ever.
Art is popular in the decoration world as well, like the Spirit Halloween animatronic pictured above. Spirit also has several costume options in the same vein, including an adult bloody Art costume for $59.99 here, an Art-inspired adult dress for $54.99 here and a non-bloody Art for $59.99 here.
TV shows and series
Movies aren’t the only major Halloween inspiration this year. TV shows have provided their own plethora of characters to pull from this costume season.
Wednesday/Addams
The creepy and kooky Addams family has never stopped being costume go-to’s, but the smash success of 2022’s Wednesday series once again skyrocketed the characters to the forefront of the pop culture consciousness. The series was also renewed for a second season in 2023, meaning the interest is likely to stick.
Of course, Wednesday’s black tulle school dance dress is an iconic pick for fans of the show, though her classic attire and that of her family still hold broad appeal, especially the Morticia and Gomez couples get-up.
Target has a selection of Wednesday and Addams family costumes, including this adult version of Wednesday’s Rave’n Dance dress for $52.99, this kids’ version for $25, this adult Morticia dress for $53.39 and this Gomez suit for $54.15.
Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders
Netflix’s docuseries “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” quickly reached top-watched status on the streaming platform upon its release in June.
The show offers a glimpse behind the scenes of the iconic team from auditions for the 2023 roster through training camp and football season performances, encouraging viewers to cheer, laugh and cry along with their favorites.
The virality of the series paired with the simplicity of the cheerleaders’ flirty and fun costumes means there will definitely be some superfans sporting blue and white or other unspecified cheer costumes this Halloween.
There are several options to get a similar look to the DCC cheer squad, including this youth costume (with a covered midriff) from the NFL shop for $44.99, this one for pets on Amazon for $22.99 and this adult version for $51.75 on Amazon.
Real people and pop culture moments
Love it or hate it, pop-culture references and replicas of real people have become increasingly popular costume options. From pop stars to politics, people love to get in a good joke when dressing for Halloween.
JoJo Siwa
“Bad JoJo” or specifically JoJo Siwa in her “Karma” music video costume (pictured above) became one of the biggest memes and most recognized looks of the year this summer. With a sparkly, rock’n’roll getup this fabulous, people are already searching for their own versions to wear this Halloween.
