8 Cool Behind-The-Scenes Facts That You Might Not Know About Iconic Horror Movie Costumes

Halloween is the perfect time to put on your costume and go out for trick-or-treat. The most popular choices tend to be inspired by iconic scary movie characters and their outfits. But behind these horror movie costumes, there are a bunch of cool behind-the-scenes facts that not many people know about. Who would have thought you had to ask for permission from Steven Spielberg to wear a T-shirt?
So let’s dive into the bizarre world of iconic horror movies and see what legends are behind these amazing costumes. Maybe this list will inspire you to pick the perfect outfit for this Halloween!

1. Jupe’s suit - Nope

Source: Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

There were several designs for Jupe’s suit in Nope, one of them was a "pink suit with leather fringe." Nope’s costume designer, Alex Bovaird, explained to SyFy that they were playing with the idea that Jupe is still obsessed with artifice. He and Steven Yuen, the actor who played Jupe, talked about just slightly leaning into the “Willy Wonka thing”.

2. Jason’s T-shirt - Us

Source: Universal/courtesy Everett Collection

Speaking about Jordan Peele’s movies, there was a story behind the costumes for his movie Us too. Apparently, Jordan was a big fan of Steven Spielberg. He personally asked the famous director for permission to let Jason, the young son of the Wilson family in Us wear a Jaws T-shirt. Spielberg agreed and his name was thanked in the film's credits.

3. Pennywise’s Make-Up - IT

Source: Warner Bros. / courtesy Everett Collection

Bill Skarsgård, the actor who played the creepy clown in IT, revealed in an interview that he showed up to his callback audition wearing his own Pennywise makeup. The actor picked up what he needed to create the look from a Halloween store and just went with it.
He must have done a good job, or a frightening one at least because he got the role in the end. The actual Pennywise makeup he wore on-screen took two-and-a-half hours to apply, though.

4. The Cult's Outfits - Midsommar

Source: A24 / courtesy Everett Collection

The outfits of the iconic cult in Midsommar were specifically made from century-old linen fabric. Some look awesome, others are quite simple. Midsommar costume designer, Andrea Flesch, explained "It should look like they do their costumes themselves, and everybody has their own costume. That’s why it was also very important that all the costumes looked different — some of them are better made, some of them less — to see the difference."

5. Hannibal Lecter's Muzzle - The Silence of the Lambs

Source: Orion Pictures Corporation/ Courtesy Everett Collection

One of the most iconic looks of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs must be his muzzle. Instead of making him look harmless, it somehow made the doctor more terrifying. There were several ideas for Hannibal Lecter's muzzle, some even resembled the protective masks used by fencers.
The original mask was supposed to be painted, but costume designer Colleen Atwood decided against it at the last minute. The unpainted mask had the appearance of leather or skin, which made it much scarier.

6. Carrie’s Prom Dress - Carrie (1976)

Source: United Artists / Courtesy Everett Collection

The beautiful prom dress from Carrie (1976) was actually from a "bride store that was going out of business." Costume designer Rosanna Norton explained, "We found this store in the Valley that was going out of business. They had tuxedos and dresses and we were able to get the doubles we needed."
Because Carrie sewed this dress in the movie, Norton wanted it to be appealing but simple, something that a teenage girl could put together by herself.

7. Knotted Robe - Suspiria

Source: Amazon / Courtesy Everett Collection

Just search “Suspiria” on Google and the first image you will see is the iconic knotted rope outfits worn by the cast. It’s the trademark of the movie at this point. Costume designer Giulia Piersanti shared with Elle that to create the iconic outfit, she used "bondage techniques" and purchased "meters and meters of [red rope] from sex shops."

8. All The Characters’ Clothes - Scream

Source: Dimension Films/ Getty Images

Everybody can see the resemblance between the infamous Scream killer’s mask and Edward Munch's painting The Scream. However, not many notice how the outfits of other characters in the movie also related to this artwork. Costume designer Cynthia Bergstrom claimed that she based the color pallet of the cast’s costumes on the colors in the painting, which was why she "got a lot of the bright chartreuses, oranges, yellows, and reds."
So that are some interesting facts that you might not know about these iconic horror movie costumes. Wanna know more about the behind-the-scenes of scary films? Then check out these chilling stories about what happened off-screen with these 10 movies.