Halloween
Halloween may still be a couple of months away, but if you’re planning on dressing up this year, now is a good time to start thinking about your costume. The biggest movies of 2026 have already given us plenty of potential inspiration, from horror icons and ancient warriors to bizarre toys and one very memorable alien.
The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to spend hundreds of dollars on a costume. Some of these characters can be recreated with clothes and makeup you probably already have, while others are going to require a serious DIY commitment. Either way, these are five movie characters from 2026 that could make for some seriously memorable Halloween costumes.
2026 Movie Halloween Costumes at a Glance
- Captain Clark (Backrooms) — Moderate difficulty; a great choice for horror fans who want a recognizable pirate-inspired costume.
- Freaky Nikki (Obsession) — Easy to moderate; one of the simplest options, with the look largely coming down to clothing, makeup, and fake blood.
- Agamemnon (The Odyssey) — Advanced; perfect for anyone willing to put some serious work into a Greek warrior costume.
- Smarty Pants (Toy Story 5) — Advanced; a weird and creative choice that gives you plenty of room to build something yourself.
- Rocky (Project Hail Mary) — Very advanced; easily the most ambitious costume on this list, but potentially the most impressive one, too.
Whether you’re looking for something easy and recognizable or completely ridiculous and elaborate, here are five movie-inspired Halloween costumes worth considering for 2026.
5. Captain Clark from Backrooms
- Movie: Backrooms
Character: Captain Clark
Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor / Robert Bobroczkyi
Costume Difficulty: Moderate
Key Costume Elements: Pirate costume, Captain Clark styling, weathered clothing, distorted monster makeup
Best For: Horror fans, couples, advanced cosplayers
Why It Works: Captain Clark combines one of 2026’s recognizable horror characters with a relatively straightforward pirate-inspired costume. The monster version requires significantly more makeup and prosthetic work, while the human version can be recreated much more easily.
This one is an obvious contender for a costume you’re likely to see this year. Backrooms was a massive hit and even as the concept of the film is about the creepiness of liminal spaces, we have gotten a new movie monster out of it with the monstrous pirate, Captain Clark. In the film, the monster is derived from the character of Chiwetel Ejiofor as he films his commercials for his local business as “Captain Clark.” So, the simpler Halloween idea is to replicate Ejiofor in his pirate costume, but for the people who are willing to go the extra mile, trying to elongate their body and sporting a distorted face would really make this costume memorable.
4. Freaky Nikki from Obsession
- Movie: Obsession
Character: Freaky Nikki
Actor: Inde Navarrette
Costume Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Key Costume Elements: Nikki’s clothing, fake blood, messy hair and makeup
Best For: Horror fans, last-minute costumes, anyone looking for a recognizable 2026 character
Why It Works: Freaky Nikki is one of the easier movie-inspired Halloween costumes on this list. The basic look can be recreated with ordinary clothing and fake blood, while fans can make the costume increasingly elaborate by recreating Nikki’s later appearances in the film.
It’s a simpler costume, but if you’re in a pinch and still want to capitalize on something trendy and recognizable, Inde Navarrette as Freaky Nikki from Obsession is definitely the star of the year. Just like a Carrie costume, the most important element is the blood splattering, but you can do varying degrees from different points in the movie. There is the look like the one above, with a splash of blood over one side, or you can go with the bloodier mess she becomes later in the movie. If you are inclined, you can also emulate the scene when Bear finds Nikki in the aftermath of waiting all day for him and her bodily fluids are all over her.
3. Agamemnon from The Odyssey
- Movie: The Odyssey
Character: Agamemnon
Director: Christopher Nolan
Key Costume Elements: Greek-inspired armor, helmet, cloak, sword or prop weapon
Costume Difficulty: Advanced
Best For: Cosplayers, Christopher Nolan fans, mythology fans
Why It Works: Agamemnon offers a much more elaborate costume option for Halloween 2026. The combination of ancient Greek armor and the character’s distinctive appearance makes it immediately recognizable to viewers familiar with Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Now, we’re getting into the really ambitious stuff. Agamemnon from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey instantly sparked debates upon his reveal. His look was seen as too clean at first. The costume didn’t feel lived-in per se, as armor that’s been worn down by battle. However, when you see the scene of Agamemnon standing at the gates of Troy, accompanied by the badass score by Ludwig Göransson, and he saunters in with his army charging all around him, this was a dynamic image that may have inspired some future cosplayers for Halloween and beyond.
2. Smarty Pants from Toy Story 5
- Movie: Toy Story 5
Character: Smarty Pants
Actor/Voice: Conan O’Brien
Costume Difficulty: Advanced
Key Costume Elements: Robot/toy-inspired clothing, exaggerated colors and shapes, potty-training-themed accessories
Best For: Disney/Pixar fans, families, creative cosplayers
Why It Works: Smarty Pants is one of the strangest costume choices on the list, which is exactly what makes it memorable. The character’s unusual design gives creative cosplayers plenty of room to build a homemade costume rather than simply buying an off-the-shelf outfit.
It’s time to get creative! Conan O’Brien’s Smarty Pants character from Toy Story 5 was an incredible addition. The former late-night talk show host was able to bring his humor to an inventive character from this fifth entry as a potty training toy, who had plenty of toilet-time puns. While his costume doesn’t quite lend itself to a simple dress up, in the past, many Halloween goers and cosplayers have been able to creatively become robots or different kinds of items. This would be a big hit if you could additionally incorporate some potty puns in conversation.
1. Rocky from Project Hail Mary
- Movie: Project Hail Mary
Character: Rocky
Costume Difficulty: Very Advanced
Key Costume Elements: Rocky’s distinctive alien body, multiple limbs, textured exterior and expressive eyes
Best For: Hardcore cosplayers, science-fiction fans, ambitious DIY projects
Why It Works: Rocky may be the most recognizable and ambitious costume on this list. The character’s unusual alien anatomy means there isn’t an easy store-bought solution, but that also makes a well-executed Rocky costume particularly impressive.
Alright, sports fans! It’s time to really think outside the box! One of the biggest box office hits earlier in the year was the Ryan Gosling sci-fi film Project Hail Mary. And his alien companion, Rocky, was a character who would succeed in stealing scenes away from the magnetic Gosling. To pull this costume off, it would require a ton of creativity and moving parts, as the character does not simply lend itself to a human shape. The design is distinct. People would instantly recognize it and since people connected with the character so much, it would be a big hit wherever you go.
Which 2026 Movie Costume Will You Choose?
Those are five movie-inspired Halloween costumes that could make a big impression in 2026. Whether you go for the relatively simple Freaky Nikki, embrace the pirate-monster weirdness of Captain Clark, build an elaborate Agamemnon costume, get creative with Smarty Pants, or somehow manage to pull off Rocky, there are plenty of ways to bring this year’s movies to Halloween.
Rocky might be the one to beat. It’s easily the most difficult costume on the list, but if someone actually manages to walk into a Halloween party looking like that, they’re probably winning the costume contest.
Which 2026 movie character would you dress up as? Let us know in the comments.
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