Inside Only Murders in the Building season 5's plot, release date and special guest stars

Only Murders in the Building has become a staple TV series for the second half of the year, with millions of fans eager to tune into another edition of the cosy crime drama.

Starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as a trio of podcasting sleuths who solve murders in their New York apartment building, The Arconia, the first four seasons have been huge hits for Hulu and Disney+.

This time, the iconic amateur investigators are trying to get to the bottom of the mysterious murder of one of the building’s most beloved characters, teased at the end of season four.

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The stakes have never been higher as the introduction of an intriguing newcomer with connections to the Mob hints the trio will be in more danger than ever.

With a new season arriving just around the corner, let’s take a look at everything we know about Only Murders in the Building’s fifth season so far.

What is Only Murders in the Building season 5 about?

Season five will pick up right after the shocking cliffhanger at the end of season four, in which Charles-Haden Savage (played by Martin), Oliver Putnam (Short) and Mabel Mora (Gomez) are devastated when they find the body of the Arconia’s loyal doorman, Lester (Teddy Coluca) dead in the courtyard fountain.

This season will see the trio venture outside the building to explore the seedy underbelly of New York City to get to the bottom of the case.

A trailer for the new outing reveals the police officially rule Lester’s death as “accidental”, but the podcasters naturally aren’t convinced and think they’ve stumbled across the subject of their next season.

An official synopsis for season five reads: “After their beloved doorman, Lester, dies under suspicious circumstances, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel refuse to believe it was an accident.

“The trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires and old-school mobsters.”

Who is in the cast of Only Murders in the Building season 5?

The main trio, Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez will, of course, all be returning for Only Murders in the Building’s next investigation.

Michael Cyril Creighton will also be returning as Arconia resident Howard Morris, along with Jackie Hoffman as Uma Heller.

It wouldn’t be another season of Only Murders without a packed slate of stellar guest stars, however, and the next crop could far outmatch any of the show’s previous seasons.

In addition to Meryl Streep returning as Oliver’s wife Loretta Durkin, season five will introduce three new high-powered suspects who come under the podcasters’ suspicions.

Christoph Waltz and Renée Zellweger will portray Bash Steeg and Camila White, respectively, both two-time Oscar-winners.

Also on board is The Perks of Being a Wallflower star Logan Lerman as Jay Pflug.

Returning guest stars include Richard Kind as Vince Fish, Nathan Lane as Teddy Dimas, James Caverly as Theo Dimas and Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Detective Donna Williams.

Téa Leoni will return as Sofia Caccimelio after being introduced in the season four finale, while Bobby Cannavale portrays Nicky Caccimelio.

Finally, Dianne Wiest, yet another two-time Oscar-winner, will play Lorraine and guest stars Keegan-Michael Key, Jermaine Fowler and Beanie Feldstein have been cast in undisclosed roles.

When will season 5 be released?

Keeping up with the tradition of the majority of previous seasons, Only Murders season five is premiering at the close of summer and will continue throughout autumn.

However, this year’s premiere is coming slightly later, with the first three episodes of the season dropping on Tuesday, 9th September on Hulu in the United States and Disney+ in the UK.

The series will begin with the first episode, Nail in the Coffin, which fans can follow up with episode two, After You, and episode three, Rigor, on the same day.

New episodes will then follow weekly, concluding with the as yet untitled season finale airing on Tuesday, 28th October.

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