Our Top 8 Halloween Costumes New for 2019, And the Screenwriters We Have to Thank for Them

Halloween: So many options, but so much pressure! I somehow end up at TV show and movie-themed Halloween parties most often and see the same costumes over again. I went as a Baywatch lifeguard last year (it was the last costume at Halloween City when I finally got around to finding one on Halloween day), accompanied by the Easter bunny (supposed to be Roger Rabbit), Kermit the Frog, Glenda the Good Witch, The Black Swan, Mary Tyler Moore and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. All cute, but all done before.

This year, I want something fresh. What movies and TV shows are topping the list of pop-culture favorites? And, what screenwriters do we have to thank for our favorite characters?

Find some of my favorite 2019 Halloween costume ideas and a little more info about the scribes behind the screen, because this is a screenwriting blog after all 😊

Fleabag

“Fleabag” is in its second season in 2019, and if you haven’t seen it, please do. Phoebe Waller-Bridge created and starred in the British comedy, and she’s quickly becoming one of my favorite writers to watch. So, in this case, you can both dress as the character Fleabag, and as the screenwriter! Now, that’s cool.

This costume is a double whammy, because not only do you get the best of both worlds as stated above, but you also get a costume and an outfit! Waller-Bridge made this jumpsuit go flying off the shelves when she donned it in Season 2, Episode 1, as an inappropriate outfit choice for a family dinner. Some say the jumpsuit says a lot about her character.

Stranger Things

We’ve now seen three seasons play out in “Stranger Things,” and Netflix confirmed a fourth at the end of August.

Brothers Matt and Ross Duffer are credited with creating the show, but let’s also give credit where credit is due: there’s an entire team of writers who make our favorite “Stranger Things” cast members come to life. The writer’s room even has its own Twitter account! That leaves me with no shortage of characters to choose from for Halloween 2019.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Killing Eve

Another Phoebe Waller-Bridge special, “Killing Eve” costumes are great for solo Halloween outings, couples, or friends. Get three people together to knock this one out of the park!

Waller-Bridge created the show, based on the “Codename Villanelle” novellas. BBC renewed it for a third season, with Suzanne Heathcote joining the team as lead writer and showrunner. Emerald Fennell previously held the position.

I think this may be my costume choice this year, so please, no copycats at Halloween parties in San Luis Obispo 😉 Villanelle is one of my favorite characters on television, so evil, so quirky, so funny, and SO fashionable! And you can’t go wrong with Eve Polastri or Konstantine Vasiliev either. If I were to go as Eve, I might drench myself in water to pull off that Emmy-worthy dinner scene with Villanelle.

The Handmaid’s Tale

A little eerie, but hey, what is Halloween for?! Grab a few friends for maximum chills and dress up as the handmaids from Bruce Miller’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, this series has left a mark on pop culture for a variety of reasons, winning eight Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe for Best Television Series, and a Golden Globe to Elizabeth Moss for Best Actress.

Plus, you’ll be extremely comfortable wearing a robe to Halloween. And unrecognizable if you wear your hat down low enough.

Toy Story 4

Flying solo for Halloween? Forky may be a good option. He was Bonnie’s favorite toy in “Toy Story 4,” after all. The awkward nature of this legless character reminds me of the time I attempted to dress up as the Pixar lamp. There were a lot of hops and lots of falls! But Forky is so endearing, perhaps more so than a lamp. Anyway …

A team of eight writers imagined the storyline and character, but writer-director Josh Cooley derived Forky’s name from his kid son. His son wanted to call the character Forkface, but Cooley revised that slightly to Forky. Phew! Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom wrote the screenplay.

Avengers: Endgame

There is no shortage of characters for an “Avengers: Endgame” costume. Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, a stack of 2.8 billion dollar bills, a broken record, the list goes on. “Avengers: Endgame” broke the record for highest-grossing film of all time, beating out “Avatar” at $2.78 billion. Let’s give Endgame a more solid lead by purchasing some of the film’s costumes!

We only hope the writers got a big piece of that pie. There were five of them officially, with credits to the screenwriters, Marvel comic creators, and character writers of Thanos, Gamora, Drax and Groot. But Christopher Marks and Stephen McFeely wrote the screenplay.

With so many costumes to choose from, I put this one out to the team. Which character would you choose? Media Production Specialist Sam Solis Ramirez said Bucky Barnes, Winter Soldier. He liked the character. I’d go with Black Widow, only because I’d like an excuse to die my hair red again for a Halloween costume. The last time I did that was in 1998 when I dressed up as Rose from “Titanic”! It stayed red for a year, not on purpose

John Wick: Chapter 3

Was it the year of Keanu Reeves, or what? From Duke Kaboom in “Toy Story 4,” to playing himself in “Always Be My Maybe” (somehow Keanu playing Keanu is just so, so funny), to “John Wick: Chapter 3”, and all viral social media posts about what a great guy he is, you could not NOT see Keanu’s face this year. So let’s see what Keanu looks like on you, as John Wick!

The films are the brainchild of Derek Kolstad, with additional screenplay credits going to Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams.

This franchise has a cult following, namely because of its over-the-top action scenes. And while you may not be able to learn Keanu’s high-kick moves before Halloween, you can at least look like him, and pretty easily. Throw on a black button-up, black tie, black sport coat, black pants, and a bob-length black wig for good measure. If you can grow facial hair like his, even better! Got a gray Pitbull? Fantastic! A stuffed dog toy will do, too.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Let me preface this one by saying I know it’s going to be a very popular choice for Halloween this year. Perhaps Quentin Tarantino should go into the costume business after he’s finished making his 10th and final film (Once Upon a Time was number nine). Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction must be one of the most popular costume choices since 1994. Will Sharon Tate, Rick Dalton or Cliff Booth replace her?

At least this year, I think yes. Sharon’s costume is simple to replicate, and you can already find Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth costumes online, including Cliff’s Champion t-shirt, similar leather moccasins, and Rick’s camel-colored leather jacket.

Got any other great ideas? Send them my way, or better yet, send us pictures of your favorite TV show and movie costumes this year! I’d love to share them.

Now go dress up,