Only Murders in the Building season 5 is confirmed, with Lester's (Teddy Coluca) death set to serve as the trio's main case this time around.

Deadline now reports that Renée Zellweger has ed Only Murders in the Building season 5 in an unknown role. It's also unclear how many episodes she will appear in. Filming on season 5 got underway in New York City earlier this week, with Martin, Short, Gomez, and Michael Cyril Creighton all returning as series regulars. Zellweger ing the cast comes in the wake of reports announcing that Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz has ed the show, in addition to Keegan-Michael Key, with both roles being unknown.

What Zellweger's Casting Means For Only Murders In The Building Season 5

The Hulu Show Continues To Feature Stacked Casts

Zellweger remains best known for playing the title character in the Bridget Jones franchise, a role that she recently reprised for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy earlier this year. The star also recently appeared in 2019's Judy, a Judy Garland biopic that earned her a Best Actress Oscar. She has also recently appeared in projects like The Thing About Pam (2022), What/ If (2019), and Same Kind of Different As Me (2017). She won her previous Oscar for Best ing Actress for 2004's Cold Mountain.

The Only Murders in the Building cast continues to welcome an impressive array of guest stars and ing players with each new season. Season 4, for example, featured Meryl Streep, Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, Zach Galifianakis, Melissa McCarthy, Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Kind, and Molly Shannon. Using season 4 as a guide, it's entirely possible that Zellweger, Waltz, and Key will be ed by other new cast additions in the coming weeks as more reports emerge.

Our Take On Zellweger ing Only Murders In The Building Season 5

Will She Be A Suspect In Lester's Murder?

Following the Only Murders in the Building season 4 finale, there's been very little official information revealed about season 5, but Zellweger's new character is certain to be somehow connected to Lester and his death. With season 5 returning to take place in New York City after some trips to LA in season 4, Zellweger's new character could be an Arconia resident. Given Waltz's history of playing villainous characters, he could also be a prime suspect in the new episodes. Knowing the show's propensity for red herrings, however, this could be a misdirect.

Waltz remains best known for playing the villainous Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds (2009), but he also played iconic 007 villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Spectre (2015) and No Time To Die (2021).

While it's challenging to say how Zellweger will factor into the story given the lack of information that has been revealed thus far, it will be interesting to see how the Oscar-winning star interacts with Gomez and comedic legends like Short and Martin. The Bridget Jones movies all have elements of comedy, after all, and she has excelled in these projects. With filming now underway, more Only Murders in the Building casting updates could arrive over the next few weeks.

Source: Deadline