By Arden Berry | Arts & Life Editor
As the pumpkins make their way onto porches and candies of every color, shape and size find their way into bowls, I begin to wonder what faces and masks might be haunting houses this Halloween. After some pondering, here are my 2026 Halloween costume predictions.
If you are not going as one of these costumes, perhaps you should.
Ryland Grace and Rocky from “Project Hail Mary”
“Project Hail Mary” was a hit in the hearts of many audiences this spring, so it would be no surprise to me if it was a hit at Halloween as well. Ryland Grace has the space suit as well as many iconic, punny science shirts that would make great costumes. Rocky is also a pretty versatile character, perfect for a pet, kid or partner.
I also would not be surprised if any “Project Hail Mary” crossover costumes popped up alongside Dr. Grace, like Simon from “Iron Lung” or any of the other Ryan Goslings, like Colt Seavers from “The Fall Guy” or Ken from “Barbie.”
2016 Snapchat filters
Since 2016 nostalgia is here, there must be someone out there planning a Snapchat dog or flower crown filter costume. This costume sounds simple and creative.
Allie Hayes and Dean Di Laurentis from “Off Campus”
We’re getting meta here, as these two are costumes of people wearing costumes. I have not seen “Off Campus,” but I have seen the clip of Allie and Dean dancing several times while scrolling through Instagram. Couples’ costumes with Allie as Jennifer Lopez and Dean as Maverick from “Top Gun” will definitely be making an appearance this Halloween, though I can also picture someone dressing up as one or the other in hopes of finding love. Both sound like great options to me.
Nikki Freeman from “Obsession”
I hesitate to mention Nikki because I worry that her becoming a horror caricature undercuts the intention behind “Obsession,” but I am confident someone out there is going to dress up as her. I am not a fan of this one, but this is a prediction column, not a recommendation one.
Peter Parker from “Spider-Man” and Lara Jean Song-Covey from “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”
Fresh off the release of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” a new crossover relationship came to life in fan art and edits: Lara Jean and Peter, but not Peter Kavinsky. It is a pretty simple couple’s costume requiring only a Spider-Man suit and one of Lara Jean’s adorable outfits.
As someone with an appreciation for both series, I think this would be a fun duo. At the very least, I expect to see several Spider-Men.
Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan from the “Expectations” music video
Both because of the video’s iconic style and recency, this duet-inspired outfit should and will make an appearance this Halloween. The outfits are just so cute and campy, and I think it would be easy to recreate the simpler cartoon versions of Rodrigo and Roan in a pinch.
Grass
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was iconic, with fun twists like a real engagement and marriage and a Lady Gaga appearance, but one of the most surprising things was that the grass was actually people wearing in grass costumes. Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I think this costume would be a fun reference.
