'Only Murders in the Building' creator drops shocking billionaires bombshell

John Robert Hoffman, the creator of Only Murders in the Building, has shared that season five’s trio was inspired by “well-known billionaires."

In a talk with Entertainment Weekly, the American actor, screenwriter, producer and director revealed that the fifth season’s trio, which consists of Renee Zellweger, Logan Lerman, and Christopher Waltz, is inspired by real-life billionaires, but he is now more conscious to not name any of them.

Hoffman laughingly said, "Unfortunately, many of those billionaires are litigious, so I'm also nervous to hit too close to home.”

"But there are some well-known people who are interested in longevity [of human life]. There's some well-known people who are interested in design and boutique hotels in Manhattan, and tastemakers that have risen above the fold. And then the others are the sort of extended family of longtime money — there's many examples of all of that. And then there's the technology wizards and A.I. advancement and things like that. We kind go all into that territory with this whole season,” he explained.

The Fortune Hunter star noted that when he came up with the idea of three affluent characters, he liked taking inspirations “here and there” from real-life cases of well-to-do people.

"That felt both somewhat accurate and pointed and then somewhat inventive. We're a comedy, so we're hitting it with a little bit of a soft, ridiculous touch at times,” Hoffman quipped.

For the unversed, in Only Murders in the Building season 5, Steve Martin’s Charles-Haden Savage, Martin Short’s Oliver Putnam, and Selena Gomez’s Mabel Mora look into the death of the Arconia’s doorman, Lester (Teddy Coluca), who was found in the courtyard fountain after Oliver and Meryl Streep’s Loretta Durkin’s wedding.

Notably, the case leads them to one of the richest people in the world, who may be tied to Lester’s death.

It is pertinent to mention that the fifth season of Only Murders in the Building will be released on September 9, 2025, on Disney+ and Hulu.