‘Only Murders in the Building’ Showrunner John Hoffman Teases Season 5: “We’re Doing Something We Haven’t Done Before”

Yes, John Hoffman, co-creator of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, is in on the joke: “How many times does someone have to die in that building before people just move out?” But as the show gears up for its fifth season, audiences by now know that there’s so much more to the show than just solving a murder in the building. The multigenerational connection among an unlikely trio, played by Selena Gomez (Mabel), Steve Martin (Charles) and Martin Short (Oliver), provides ample comedic and affecting fodder, as its seven nominations this year would attest. There’s a collision of “new world and old world at the same time that’s very specific to New York and our building,” Hoffman tells THR. The showrunner describes what it was like bringing his guest stars on board and more.

When you originally started with the concept of the show, how long did you think you could have murders take place every season?

Steve had the title, and he had the premise of these three true crime loving neighbors who didn’t know each other, coming together to solve this murder. And then I came along and was suggesting that they were also going to publish a podcast as they went along within the investigation. So the podcast part of it actually helped me “chapterize” every season in my head, and a way in which we could play with that form, to keep it open and keep it extended.

When you sat down for season four, what were your goals? 

It’s a show about connection and loneliness in a big city. And then [the trio is] trying to find justice for Mabel’s friend in the beginning of the whole show. You do these things, and you open up a bit of a Pandora’s box, so you’re very vulnerable. Season two was about that; season three was expanding Oliver’s world a bit more, and a love story around a musical and a story of his dream. Now in season four, you have this dual thing happening that was built on the idea, “Take a look at yourselves, the three of you, because you’re the ones who set this all in motion, and you have to check yourselves.” We do that in a funny way, with a Hollywood movie getting made, and there are three characters playing them, and the whole season is about doubles and reflections and mirrors. And then, more personally, the double [Sazz, played by Jane Lynch] of Charles-Haden Savage is the murder victim, and we expand the history of that relationship. 

When you’re having conversations with Eva Longoria, Zach Galifianakis and Eugene Levy about playing not-so-favorable versions of themselves, what are those discussions like? 

It’s a delicate one. And I get it. Everyone has a different relationship to where they are in their own career and whether or not they’re open to playing themselves or a version of themselves. … You get the call, and they’re saying they want to talk to you about Only Murders and see if they might be able to be someone for the season, and they hop on the phone and I say, “You’d be playing yourself,” and there’s always a moment of, “Oh, OK.” They know it comes with a lot of representing them in a funny way, playing on what’s real. I had brilliant conversations with Eva, Zach and Eugene throughout the entire process … it was about crafting the best, funniest version of themselves that they felt was like, “Oh, I haven’t done anything like this before.” 

This season brought you to Los Angeles. What were the challenges in mobilizing the entire production to L.A.? 

We only had three days in Los Angeles to shoot, and we had three big locations. One day was all we had in that house [for the party scenes]. And a lot of it [takes place] at night, so that was a challenge. It was spectacular, though. We started there, and then over in Hancock Park at Sazz’s place. It was our first three days of shooting on season four, so it had an energy unlike anything we’d done. 

what can we expect for season five? Because you guys left it Season Four with a potential case

I hope people love season five as much as I do. I think we’re doing something we haven’t done before in season five that pertains to New York today, right now in the headlines, in both New York and the world at large in certain ways. But it’s all about our show — classic meets modern, old versus new, and putting those things together: Two classic comedians, the most modern of young women, and classic architecture, meaning the modern technology of what’s going on that is very much front and center. And there’s a whole new and old world at the same time, very specific to New York and our building.