New union rules means striking actors are going to have to get creative for their Halloween costumes this year
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- SAG-AFTRA warned striking actors to not wear Halloween costumes inspired by "struck content."
- The actors' union said its members should instead choose more generic looks, like "ghost" and "spider."
- SAG-AFTRA members have been striking for nearly 100 days.
Striking actors might need to get a little more creative than usual for their Halloween costumes this year — or just dust off those old cat ears.
SAG-AFTRA — the union that represents over 160,000 actors and entertainment workers who have now been striking for almost 100 days — sent out new guidance this week on what costumes members can and can't wear for Halloween.
"We wanted to make sure our members don't inadvertently break strike rules, and have put together some quick tips on the dos and don'ts for costumes," the union wrote in an infographic.
SAG-AFTRA urged its members to avoid costumes inspired by "struck content," which would include popular movie and TV characters owned by companies the union is battling, like Disney or Warner Bros.
That means that popular costumes like Barbie, Oppenheimer, Wednesday Adams, and even Marvel characters, are off the table.
Instead, striking members should opt for more generic costumes like "ghost, zombie, spider, etc." or "characters from non-struck media like animated TV shows," the union said.
"Don't post photos of costumes inspired by struck content to social media," SAG-AFTRA said. "Let's use our collective power to send a loud and clear message to our struck employers that we will not promote their content without a fair contract."