In August 2023, Hulu's murder-mystery comedy Only Murders in the Building returned for a standout, star-studded third season, which expanded its world beyond the Arconia to follow a murder investigation set among the cast of a Broadway show, complete with original songs and an added layer of complications for the podcasting trio of Oliver (Martin Short), Charles (Steve Martin), and Mabel (Selena Gomez). Season 3 proved that while the murders themselves may be limited to the walls of the Arconia, the sky's the limit for where the series' characters could go next—including even outside of New York City.
Read on for what we know about the next mystery that Oliver, Charles, and Mabel are on the case of in season 4 of Only Murders in the Building.
Has 'Only Murders in the Building' been renewed for season 4?
Yes! The show's official Instagram announced it had been renewed when the season 3 finale aired in October 2023, revealing the next season's murder.
The news also followed the end of the writers' strike, which meant that the writing team (led by showrunner John Hoffman) was able to get right to work crafting the upcoming episodes.
When will 'Only Murders in the Building' season 4 come out?
Hulu has announced that OMITB will return on schedule, with season 4 set to premiere on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. This marks the fourth year the Hulu whodunnit has kept up with its typical release schedule, despite last year's Hollywood strikes. There's no word yet on the specific episode release schedule, but if season 4 follows the trend of previous years, we'll likely get two episodes on premiere day followed by weekly drops until the finale.
Is there a trailer for 'Only Murders in the Building' season 4?
Hulu dropped the first official look at season 4 last May along with the premiere date, finally teasing what will bring our beloved podcasting trio to the City of Angels. The clip reveals that a studio wants to turn the in-show podcast Only Murders in the Building into a movie! It appears as though Charles, Oliver, and Mabel will get a few episodes in L.A. before returning to N.Y.C. to solve this season's mystery.
Closer to the August premiere date, Hulu dropped the official trailer for OMITB season 4. The clip answers how the podcasting trio will deal with their podcasts' film adaptation and the death of Sazz Pataki. (Hollywood is coming to the Arconia!) After a quick trip to L.A. to meet the upcoming project's stars—Eva Longoria as Mabel, Eugene Levy as Charles, and Zach Galifianakis as Oliver—the trio quickly return to N.Y.C. to deal with the investigation and the terrifying fact that the attack was likely meant for Charles. While the trio seem to have more resources than ever, with Detective Williams (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) helping them again, they must deal with their star counterparts attempting to get in on the case. However, this may be a good thing; as Loretta mentions, "Actors are investigators."
What will 'Only Murders in the Building' season 4 be about?
After wrapping up the true killer(s) who murdered Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd), the Only Murders in the Building season 3 finale introduced the show's next big mystery. The mood for the episode's final moments is celebratory at first, as Death Rattle Dazzle receives a rave review. Soon after, Sazz (Jane Lynch) shows up to join the festivities, with Charles's longtime stunt double letting herself in, as she may have "made copies of all his keys." Charles and Sazz take a selfie that gives us a moment to notice they're wearing very similar clothes, after which Sazz tells Charles that she wants to talk to him later about something "a little sensitive." Charles also says that he's stepping out to grab a rare wine from his apartment for the occasion.
Cut to Charles's dark apartment, where we see a figure who looks like Charles walking into the kitchen without turning on the lights. A shot rings out. We see a bullet hole through his window, as the bullet hits his chest and he crumples to the ground. However, it's not Charles, it's Sazz! The stunt double touches her chest and the camera pans away as she passes out and struggles for breath. And with that, OMITB has its latest murder in the building.
There are so many questions to answer in season 4. Was the killer targeting Charles? That makes the most sense; it was his apartment, and Sazz has made a living off her resemblance to him. However, we also never learned what "sensitive" topic she wanted to discuss with him. If the killer was watching through the windows, tracking Charles and Sazz at Oliver's party, could they have intentionally shot Sazz at the perfect time, knowing that police would assume their target was Charles? The show has pulled off more intricate twists.
Since the finale aired, an official description for season 4 has been released: “Charles, Oliver & Mabel wrestle with the shocking events at the end of season 3 surrounding Charles’ stunt double & friend Sazz Pataki. Questioning whether Sazz or Charles was the intended victim, our trio’s investigation leads them to L.A. where a Hollywood studio is readying a film about the Only Murders podcast. As our amateur sleuths race back to New York, they embark on an even more epic journey—traversing their building’s courtyard to delve into the twisted lives of the Arconia’s West Tower residents.”
Earlier this year, Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich spoke to Deadline about what fans can expect regarding Charles, Oliver, and Mabel's stint in L.A. this season.
"I’m very excited to see Steve, Martin, and Selena take a little break from the apartment building and come to Los Angeles," he told the outlet. "So in the same way that John Hoffman used the canvas of Broadway to tell what I think was one of the most unique seasons you’ve ever seen, the same unique Only Murders take will be applied to Los Angeles, which I’m really excited about."
Who will be in the cast of 'Only Murders in the Building' season 4?
Hulu has confirmed which members of the core cast will return for season 4: In addition to Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, the new installment will also bring back Michael Cyril Creighton (Howard), Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Detective Williams), and, of course, Jane Lynch (Sazz).
In a delightful bit of news, Variety also reported last February that Meryl Streep will return to the role of Loretta Durkin in season 4. While it's nice to know that Oliver and Loretta will still be going strong, there's no official word yet on whether Jesse Williams will reprise his role of Mabel's boyfriend Tobert.
The network has also slowly revealed its OMITB season 4 guest stars. On February 14, 2024, Deadline reported that Saturday Night Live and The Other Two alum Molly Shannon will have a season-long guest arc on season 4, playing "a high-powered L.A. businesswoman who finds herself drawn into the world of the investigation in NY." Then a week later, the outlet announced that Eva Longoria is also joining the season, only adding that her character "becomes integral to the twists and turns of this season’s investigation." Wrapping up the new cast members is Eugene Levy in his first television role since Schitt's Creek.
In March, Variety reported that Kumail Nanjiani and Zach Galifianakis had joined the series, adding that both actors will be "integral" to this season's mystery. (Will they be playing some of the mysterious residents of the Arconia’s West Tower?) According to Deadline, Richard Kind, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Catherine Cohen, and Jin Ha round out the exciting slate of guest stars. Once the first season 4 teaser dropped, it was also revealed that Melissa McCarthy(!) will appear as Charles' sister.
