Renée Zellweger is poised to make her grand entrance into the Arconia and become a part of the esteemed ensemble of "Only Murders in the Building." The thrilling announcement of her casting was unveiled on Wednesday via the series' social media platforms, which playfully mirrored the grand unveiling of casting announcements for "Avengers: Doomsday," featuring Zellweger's name boldly etched on a director's chair.
While further specifics regarding Zellweger's recurring guest role remain under wraps, her addition to the cast joins an already star-studded lineup including Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. Previous announcements have also confirmed the participation of Christoph Waltz and Keegan-Michael Key in season five.
The fifth installment of the Emmy-winning series will maintain its signature 10-episode format, mirroring previous seasons, and is currently under production. Zellweger is represented by CAA, John Carrabino Management, and imPRint.
In addition to Martin, Short, and Gomez, the fourth season boasted an unprecedented array of talent, with Meryl Streep reprising her role as Loretta Durkin, alongside Jane Lynch as Sazz Pataki, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, Eva Longoria, Richard Kind, Melissa McCarthy, Kumail Nanjiani, and Molly Shannon.
Season 5 arrives on the heels of the show's triumph at the 2025 SAG Awards. The Hulu series, a production of 20th Television and co-created and written by Steve Martin and John Hoffman, garnered the award for Best Comedy Series Ensemble. Short was also honored with the Best Actor in a Comedy Series award for his stellar performance. Notably absent from the ceremony, Martin and Short left Gomez to jest onstage that their absence stemmed from indifference. However, during an appearance on Amy Poehler's podcast, "Good Hang with Amy Poehler," Short revealed he missed the ceremony due to contracting COVID-19 from the SNL 50th anniversary special days prior.
"I never win! I wasn't even watching; I was engrossed in 'The Brutalist,'" Short shared on the podcast. "Then someone said to turn it on, and I was utterly astounded. That's what Selena Gomez said, 'We always lose.'" He added, reflecting on the show's success, "In the journey of 'Only Murders in the Building' – as we embark on our fifth season – winning awards was never a consideration. It was never even a remote possibility." He continued, laughing, "The publicist sends you these 'SAG Predictions,' and it was always like, 'Well, if it isn't Jeremy Allen White, it'll be Jason Segel.' It wasn't even close."
When Poehler inquired how he thought he had won, Short joked, "I guess I'm beloved. I've become this lovable icon." Season three of the show secured 21 Emmy nominations, marking its highest tally to date. Deadline was the first to break the news of Zellweger's casting.
