'Only Murders in the Building' creator John Hoffman tells THR at the premiere how season four takes this show to the next level. Plus, he dishes on the challenges of the "found footage" episode in season four.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00Selena has said this is the most exciting season of the show so far.
00:03How would you say season four takes the show to the next level?
00:06Wow. I mean, yeah, I would agree with Selena on that one.
00:10I can only imagine that it's really hard to find any show in history
00:19that has a cast so stacked and loaded like this one does.
00:23But beyond that, what's beautiful is that they've really...
00:27The writers, myself, we've really found a way to integrate them into the show.
00:31So it feels like part of the show itself, not just pops of famous people.
00:36There are brilliant characterizations all the way throughout.
00:39And the mystery is alive and kicking.
00:41The trio is at the center of it all.
00:44And there's reflections of them everywhere.
00:47They look in doppelgangers and films and film scripts and reflections.
00:51So the whole season is built around that.
00:53But it's just a freaking blast.
00:55There's an episode this season that's a found footage episode,
00:58which is unlike anything you've ever done on the show before.
01:01What made you want to do that and what challenges did it present?
01:04Great question.
01:06I think that's episode six is our sort of more experimental leap we took,
01:12which basically sprung from a season
01:16in all forms of looking at film and movies and what they've done.
01:21You know, films have only been around for a little over 100 years.
01:25So I thought, let's experiment with an episode that is all through cameras.
01:32And let's see what that feels like.
01:34We had two brilliant characters played by Cat Cohen and Sienna Werber,
01:39the brothers sisters.
01:41And that felt like a great opportunity to put an episode in their POV as well.
01:45And everyone took to it.
01:47And it does give a bit of a jolt to the season in some way
01:50that feels different for the show.
01:52Definitely.
01:53And like you were saying earlier, there are so many amazing guest stars
01:56this season.
01:57Who's one new character that you're especially
01:59excited for the audience to meet?
02:01Oh, well, I have a special place in my heart
02:04because she's my dear friend for many, many years.
02:07One of the first people I met in Los Angeles is Molly Shannon.
02:10And she plays a character named Bev Mellon.
02:13And Molly just hits it out of the park, as everyone does in this season.
02:17But I particularly was thrilled to get a chance back
02:21to work with my dear friend.
02:23And the first episode of the season starts here in Los Angeles
02:26on the Paramount lot, where we are right now.
02:28What made you want to jump to LA for that one episode?
02:31Well, I thought, again, like looking at, you know,
02:34we have a victim this season that is a Hollywood stunt double.
02:37And marrying that with the success of this podcast our trio has done,
02:43it didn't feel like too far a leap to think
02:45that Hollywood might be tapping at their door to make an adaptation.
02:48So all of that felt like a good reason to come
02:51to Hollywood for a moment, but take it right back to New York
02:54because we are a definite New York show.
02:57And it will always be that.