Boo! SAG AFTRA has issued some strict Halloween costume guidelines for notable actors.
The union bans actors from dressing up as popular characters from affected content and then posting the images on social media.
That means that some of the most popular Halloween costumes this year – such as Barbie and Wednesday Addams – are not allowed.
Instead, the guild told members on Thursday to “choose costumes inspired by common characters and figures – ghost, zombie, spider, etc.” (But surely someone will show up at a party looking like a fake Carol Lombardini).
However, members can dress up as characters from non-minted content, such as an animated TV show. However, Marvel superheroes are not allowed, despite having comic book roots, because they are owned by Disney.
A really determined fan might cite technicalities about character ownership here – Barbie is owned by Mattel, for example, but the appearance of promoting the summer’s biggest movie from a major studio would certainly be frowned upon and the whole idea is to take into account with the message a costume could send.
“Let’s use our collective power to send a loud and clear message to our affected employers that we will not promote their content without a fair contract,” the post continued.
The SAG-AFTRA strike is approaching its 100th day without a deal after talks with studios broke down without a deal on Saturday.
Presumably, actors could dress up as affected characters when they’re not on public display in their costumes, but it’s probably best not to take the risk – after all, nothing is scarier than being called out for scabs.
