Only Murders in the Building is four seasons into its run on Hulu, and fans are waiting for news on the status of Season 5.
Led by a fan-favorite trio of stars, Only Murders shows the aftermath of multiple deaths in big-city apartment complexes that are investigated through an online podcast. From there, comedy and chaos have ensued behind three strangers-turned-friends since the series arrived on Hulu in 2021.
Starring the legendary comedy duo of Steve Martin and Martin Short as they team up with popstar-turned-Golden-Globe-nominee Selena Gomez, Only Murders is one of Hulu’s crown jewels with a growing list of awards.
Is Only Murders in the Building Renewed for Season 5?
Only Murders in the Building Season 4 began airing on Hulu on August 27, 2024. Nine days later, Disney+ confirmed the show was renewed for Season 5.
Additionally, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez filmed a 30-second video together confirming the announcement that same day, noting that nothing had been shot yet:
Martin: "We are coming back for a Season 5!"
Gomez: "We hope you like it!"
Martin: "So, when would that be on? It would be 2025."
Gomez: "Well, we don’t know, we don’t have a date. We’ve got to shoot it."
While many modern streaming shows have had inconsistent release schedules, Only Murders in the Building has its timeframe worked out almost to a formula. Three of its first four seasons hit Hulu sometime in August of each year, except Season 2, which arrived in late June 2022.
The release dates of each season of Only Murders can be seen below:
- Season 1 - August 31, 2021
- Season 2 - June 28, 2022
- Season 3 - August 8, 2023
- Season 4 - August 27, 2024
Based on those past timeframes, the expectation is that Only Murders in the Building Season 5 should hit Hulu sometime in Summer 2025, potentially with another August release date.
Who Will Be Cast in Only Murders in the Building Season 5?
Now that Only Murders in the Building seems to be back in New York City after a detour to Los Angeles, much of the show's original cast should return.
Once again, the story's center should be Steve Martin's Charles-Hayden Savage, Martin Short's Oliver Putnam, and Selena Gomez's Mabel Mora. The three have consistently worked their podcast together since Season 1.
Additionally, after a cameo at the end of Season 4, Deadline confirmed that Tea Leoni will return for a regular role as newcomer Sofia Caccimelio in Season 5.
The full list of expected cast members for Season 5 can be seen below:
- Steve Martin - Charles-Haden Savage
- Martin Short - Oliver Putnam
- Selena Gomez - Mabel Mora
- Tea Leoni - Sofia Caccimelio
- Meryl Streep - Loretta Durkin
- Michael Cyril Creighton - Howard Morris
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph - Detective Donna Williams
- Jackie Hoffman - Uma Heller
What Could Happen in Only Murders in the Building Season 5?
Season 5 will up the ante on the murder front for the Only Murders crew, with two potential victims to follow.
Upon getting back to New York, the main trio discovers the dead body of their doorman, Teddy Coluca's Lester, in the fountain of the Arconia building where they live. Additionally, Leoni's new character urges them to investigate her husband's disappearance, who has ties to a scary crime family.
These two cases will surely keep Charles, Oliver, and Mabel as busy as ever, but it likely will also be far from all they deal with.
Speaking with Variety after Season 4 ended, showrunner John Hoffman provided an update on where he is developing the new season.
In October, he already had the killer and story planned out, noting how Season 5 is "shaping up within the microcosm of our building in New York" as the theme of modernization comes into play.
"I know the killer. I know the story. We are now breaking the fourth episode of Season 5, so we have a pretty good handle on it all. There is always a wish to look into a new world, and hopefully with a real New York bent. The show has always been about classic-meets-modern. Season 5 is shaping up within the microcosm of our building in New York, and modernization, and grappling with that. The victim was a doorman, and that is a very rich lineage and heritage to New York City — what that job is, and the union around that job — and there’s a level of respect involved. Now we have to pay respect by finding out what exactly might have happened to Lester. The old-school nature of all of that piety that you still find in New York, matched up with sort of the modern."
He also touched specifically on Leoni's inclusion in the cast, reminiscing on having "the greatest talks about her character" while hinting at the mystery behind Lester being in the fountain:
"And Téa Leoni, I love her so much. We’ve had the greatest talks about her character and what’s going on with her. And how there may be a relationship to why Lester is in that fountain!"
The first four seasons of Only Murders in the Building are streaming on Hulu.
