They’ll be joined by a new cast member, Paul Rudd, who made a surprise cameo at the end of the season 2 finale as actor Ben Glenroy. Only Murders in the Building made an unlikely team out of a retired actor, a failed Broadway director and an aimless young woman. The first season was the most-watched original comedy in Hulu’s history and earned 14 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series. At the start, they investigated and solved the killing of their neighbor Tim Kono. Next, the trio worked to clear their names as suspects in the death of building board president Bunny Folger. After a year time jump, they’re drawn into another murder with personal ties. Here’s everything we know so far about Only Murders in the Building season 3.
Only Murders in the Building season 3 release date speculation
Hulu has not announced the Only Murders in the Building season 3 release date yet. The streamer renewed the show for a third season in July, just a few weeks after season 2 debuted. We can make an educated guess about the Only Murders in the Building season 3 release date based on the schedule of the first two seasons. Season 1 premiered Aug. 31, 2021 and ran until Oct. 19, 2021. Season 2 premiered June 28, 2022 and ended on Aug. 23. Based on those previous air dates, we think Season 3 is likely to air next summer, possibly premiering in June 2023.
Only Murders in the Building season 3 cast
The cast of Only Murders in the Building season 3 will be helmed by its three leads: Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage, a semi-retired actor; Martin Short as Oliver Putnam, a struggling Broadway director; and Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora, a young woman with artistic ambitions. They will be joined by Paul Rudd as Ben Glenroy, an actor who perishes on stage during Oliver’s latest production. Co-creator John Hoffman told Variety (opens in new tab), “Paul Rudd, after making an auspicious entrance into the world of our show at the end of Season 2 as Ben Glenroy, is someone we clearly want to know more about and see in our upcoming Season 3 — as he is a clear source of many upcoming questions and, as ever with our show, many twists yet to come!" They may be joined by:
Andrea Martin as Joy, Charles’ makeup artist and girlfriendZoe Colletti as Lucy, Charles’ quasi-stepdaughterCara Delevingne as Alice Banks, an art gallery director and Mabel’s love interestRyan Broussard as Will Putnam, Oliver’s sonDa’Vine Joy Randolph as Detective WilliamsTina Fey as Cinda Canning, a true crime podcast hostNathan Lane as Teddy DimasJames Caverly as Theo DimasJane Lynch as Sazz Pataki, Charles’ former stunt doubleMichael Cyril Creighton as Howard Morris, a building residentJackie Hoffman as Uma Heller, a building residentChristine Ko as Nina Lin, the Arconia’s new board presidentTeddy Coluca as Lester, the building’s doorman
Only Murders in the Building season 3 is also likely to add some fresh faces to the cast. Major stars may make cameos as themselves, as we’ve seen with Sting, Amy Schumer and Jimmy Fallon.
Only Murders in the Building season 3 plot and season 2 finale explained
In the Only Murders in the Building season 2 finale, Mabel figures out that Bunny’s killer is Poppy White, a.k.a Becky Butler (with an assist from Detective Kreps). Turns out, Cinda’s meek assistant has been playing a long con. She basically pulled a Gone Girl on herself, taking on a new identity so that she could fake Becky’s murder and pitch a podcast about it to Cinda. That podcast, All Is Not OK in Oklahoma, became a sensation and the thing that Mabel, Oliver and Charles bonded over. Poppy wanted Cinda’s next podcast to investigate the missing artist Rose Cooper but once again needed a murder to make her pitch juicier. After somehow discovering Bunny had Rose’s painting, she and Kreps conspired to kill her and frame Mabel. The trio reveal what they know at a party attended by former suspects like Alice, Howard and Uma. When Mabel pretends to accuse Alice of murdering Bunny, Alice pretends to stab Charles. Cinda, acting impressed, offers Mabel a podcast. Infuriated, Poppy confesses to her crimes. A year passes, during which there are no murders. Oliver is directing a play on Broadway that stars Charles, now dating his makeup artist Joy. His co-star is Ben Glenroy, but the two seem to be at odds. Backstage, Charles warns Ben, “Stay away from her.” Mabel joins Joy and Lucy in the audience, and Oliver arrives to sit with them. When the curtain rises, Ben begins a monologue — only to cough up blood and collapse. Season 3 will obviously dig into Ben’s death. Normally, we’d chalk it up to murder, considering the show’s title. But then again, it didn’t happen in the Arconia. As TVLine (opens in new tab) notes, maybe the murder just has to take place in any building. “That is an assumption you can make, absolutely,” Hoffman teased. “That is a central question… and I am excited to have an answer. As for the season 3’s themes, Hoffman told Variety (opens in new tab), “We’re obviously making a leap into the theater, and around Oliver being a little bit more central in the emotional arc. It’s his Broadway return, and that tethers out for all of them into a question of success — at what cost?” He added, “What happens at the end of season 2 begs the question: Are these three people cursed to forever have death around them? And we’re just four weeks into our writers’ room for season 3, but there are lovely romantic possibilities happening that ask certain questions. Are you able to commit, or should you be committed? The idea of commitment making you crazy.” Hoffman also previewed how season 3 will present a different, changed Mabel. “One of the headlines is, there’s brightness… a different color. She has, over the last two seasons, been able to sort of take that shawl of heaviness off of her a bit,” he told TVLine. “There are certain new pressures ahead of her, and questions that she is asking herself about her own life, but she’s got a much more optimistic viewpoint.” Next: Are you ready for House of the Dragon episode 2?
