Only Murders in the Building season 5 release date and latest news

But for all the gags and comedic sequences the show usually delivers, we can also expect some emotional moments too as the characters grieve for their beloved doorman, Lester (Teddy Coluca).

He met his fate not long after the trio closed their investigation into the murder of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), a longtime friend to Charles (Martin) – so the gang have faced two devastating losses in as many years.

These increasingly severe storylines lend credence to the theory that the show is building up to a climactic end, with Short assuring fans in a Variety interview that the creatives will "know when it feels like it's past its time".

If you're excited for their next case, read on for everything you need to know about this week's launch of Only Murders in the Building season 5 on Disney Plus.

Only Murders in the Building release date

Only Murders in the Building season 5 premieres on Tuesday 9th September on Disney Plus.

The season will kick off with a triple-bill launch, before slipping into the typical schedule of one episode per week, teasing out the latest murder mystery over approximately two months.

It's not yet known whether this will be the last hurrah for the hapless podcasters, with series co-creator John Hoffman previously expressing a desire to keep Only Murders going.

However, the reality is that few scripted comedies or dramas have made it past five seasons on streaming, which is a business model more focused on launching new shows than nurturing existing ones.

Nevertheless, Hoffman told ScreenRant: "I really mean it – this is one of those shows [where] everyone involved in it is so happy doing it – and I know I speak for the trio and everyone else.

"When you have lightning in a bottle in this way, and then there's this magnetising force of incredible talent who say, 'Wow, that looks like fun. I would love to be a part of that.'"

Only Murders in the Building season 5 cast

Only Murders in the Building season 5 once again stars Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin in the lead roles of Mabel Mora, Oliver Putnam and Charles Haden-Savage.

Series regular Michael Cyril Creighton also reprises the role of Howard Morris, alongside fellow returnees Da'Vine Joy Randolph (as Detective Donna Williams), Nathan Lane and James Caverly (as father-son duo Teddy and Theo Dimas).

Meryl Streep is also set to return as Loretta Durkin-Putnam. The series has never struggled to attract big name talent (as evidenced by the lead trio and Streep's continued involvement). Season 5 looks to be no exception, with Bobby Cannavale, Keegan-Michael Key, Christopher Waltz, Renée Zellweger, Logan Lerman, Jermaine Fowler and Beanie Feldstein joining the roster.

It's known that Zellweger, Lerman and Waltz will be playing the three richest people in the world, although how they'll factor into the murder of humble doorman Lester (Teddy Coluca) remains to be seen.

Téa Leoni will also return as Sofia Caccimelio; a worried woman who approached the Only Murders trio for help towards the end of season 4. The case of her missing husband will be expanded upon, with Cannavale set to take on the role.

In summary, the confirmed cast list for Only Murders in the Building season 5 is as follows:

• Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage
• Martin Short as Oliver Putnam
• Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora
• Meryl Streep as Loretta Durkin-Putnam
• Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Detective Donna Williams
• Téa Leoni as Sofia Caccimelio
• Bobby Cannavale as Nicky Caccimelio
• Michael Cyril Creighton as Howard Morris
• Keegan-Michael Key as TBC
• Christopher Waltz as Bash Steeg
• Renée Zellweger as Camila White
• Logan Lerman as Jay Pflug
• Jermaine Fowler as TBC
• Dianne Wiest as Lorraine
• Teddy Coluca as Lester

What could be the plot of Only Murders in the Building season 5?

In the final moments of season 4's finale, Oliver, Mabel and Charles discovered the body of their building's trusty doorman Lester, setting him up as season 5's victim.

We also met a new character named Sofia Caccimelio (Téa Leoni), who approached The Arconia's trio to ask them to investigate her husband's disappearance – claiming it "has everything to do with this building".

The official synopsis for season 5 promises to explore "shadowy corners of New York and beyond" as a "dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters, and the mysterious residents of the Arconia" is exposed.

It concludes: "The trio discovers a deeper divide between their storied city they thought they knew and the new New York evolving around them — one where the old mob fights to hold on as newer, even more dangerous players emerge."

Back in October 2024, Only Murders showrunner John Hoffman offered an overview of the timely themes that his comedy-drama is hoping to tackle in the latest run.

"Season 5 is shaping up within the microcosm of our building in New York, and modernisation, and grappling with that," he told Variety.

"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."

Hoffman also told the publication that new character Sofia belongs to "a world" the show hasn't tackled yet.

He added: "I think she's the great tease at the end of the finale and a little bit of an intriguing bump forward. She's an extension of the little news report in episode 9 that Mabel makes note of at the hospital.

"[Sofia] is the wife of the Dry Cleaning King of Brooklyn, and maybe a couple of dry cleaning outlets in Manhattan, as well, we may come to know.

"But beyond that, it's a world opened up potentially that we haven't talked about too much yet in New York, so she holds a lot of intrigue."

Only Murders in the Building season 5 trailer

Hulu dropped the full-length trailer for Only Murders in the Building season 5 last month. Watch here:

Only Murders in the Building is available to stream on Disney Plus.

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