Halloween 2024: Celebrities love dressing up in pop culture costumes too

It’s the most spooktacular time of year — and celebrities are all in for the dress-up.

Halloween may belong to Heidi Klum, but she’s got hot competition. While the America’s Got Talent judge tends to pick costumes like a peacock (2023) or worm (2022) or zombie (2021), other stars are leaning heavy into pop culture. That makes them just like the rest of us — as Beetlejuice, Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine costumes are trendy this year.

Celebs are throwing it back, though: Halle Bailey as Halle Berry received praise from the Oscar winner, Janelle Monáe went big on prosthetics to become ’80s alien E.T., and Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager channeled their inner Jack and Rose from Titanic, complete with a moment of the bow of a “ship.”

Let’s look at some of the buzziest ones (so far)…

Halle Bailey

If we were handing out awards, we’d throw ’em to Halle Bailey as Halle Berry.

The Little Mermaid star paid homage to the Academy Award winner by re-creating the famed look of Berry’s Die Another Day character, Jinx Johnson. It’s been 22 years since Berry rocked her orange bikini for the role in the 007 film, and Bailey’s re-creation received praise from the O.G. Berry wrote on Instagram, “Awe … my girl did that! What a huge compliment. Love you angel.” (Fun facts: No, Bailey wasn’t named after Berry. Yes, they have met.)

Janelle Monáe

We can’t unsee the “Make Me Feel” singer in her E.T. costume. She debuted the look — a throwback to 1982’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — on Jennifer Hudson’s show, complete with a pile of prosthetics and a creepy voice to match.

Monáe’s effort was Klum-level, complete with a full photo shoot.

Hoda Kotb & Jenna Bush Hager

For their final Halloween together, the Today With Hoda & Jenna co-hosts were perfection as Winslet's and DiCaprio’s 1997 Titanic characters. Their hearts will go on … even though they will no longer be sharing their mornings together. Sniff.

Today show co-hosts

As for the rest of the Today show crew? Savannah Guthrie got Legally Blonde as Elle Woods from the 2001 film, even toting a little Bruiser. Maybe she’ll get to rewear it when Legally Blonde 3 comes out now that dressing up for movies and concerts is such a thing.

It was showtime for Al Roker, who dressed as Beetlejuice, complete with rotten teeth and a gravelly voice. The film’s sequel came out this year, decades after the 1988 original, with much of the original cast, including Michael Keaton.

Dylan Dreyer joined Roker with the Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice theme, serving some Lydia Deetz, brought to the small screen by Winona Ryder.

Craig Melvin, as Eddie Murphy’s Axel F. Foley from 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop, sported a varsity jacket as he rolled onto the set in a 1972 Chevy Nova. He even made some banana in the tailpipe jokes.

There was also Willie Geist as Will Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy from 2004’s Anchorman, Peter Alexander as Robin Williams’s Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Laura Jarrett as Gabrielle Union’s Isis from 2000’s Bring It On and Carson Daly and Sheinelle Jones in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) looks inspired by Mike Myers and Beyoncé (Powers and Foxxy Cleopatra).

Scott Foley, Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn

“Challengers Accepted,” wrote Washington, who posed with her former Scandal co-stars as Zendaya's, Mike Faist's and Josh O'Connor’s characters from the R-rated tennis drama, which came out this year. From one onscreen love triangle to another!

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos

Live! continued with its costume-changing frenzy. Earlier in the week, the star couple dressed as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (U.S. Open version), the Only Murders in the Building cast, and Lady Gaga's and Bruno Mars’s “Die With a Smile” looks.

On the big day, they did a Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice tribute.

Jennifer Garner

The Deadpool & Wolverine actress revisited an old friend — her 13 Going on 30 character, Jenna Rink. She rocked the dress Jenna wore at a work party in the rom-com — 20 years after the film came out. Garner didn’t hide the fact that she’s two decades on from the role, applying retinol cream at one point and using her glasses to do her eye makeup while Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” played.

Macaulay Culkin

The Home Alone star is well aware some NFL fans think he resembles Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow, so he gave the fans what they want by dressing as the quarterback.

“Game on @joeyb_9,” he wrote on Instagram alongside the photos. We can only hope Burrow reciprocates with a Kevin McCallister-themed costume. Happy Halloween, ya filthy animals.

Shay Mitchell

The Pretty Little Liars actress recycled her Poison Ivy costume, first worn in 2015. “Pulled this costume out from the past and primed a $20 wig,” wrote Mitchell, posing alongside makeup artist Ivan Nú?ez as Harvey Dent.

Alyson Hannigan

The How I Met Your Mother said, “Swifties get me,” in the caption of her photo. She’s a football and her husband, Alexis Denisof, is Aristotle, a nod to the “You know how to ball, I know Aristotle” line in Taylor Swift’s “So High School” song about Kelce.