Updated on 28 July: If there’s one thing we learned from the riotously fun Knives Out, it’s this; star-studded murder mysteries are best served with a healthy dollop of humour. And Star on Disney+ has well and truly taken this lesson onboard, dousing its upcoming TV series with comedy gold every bit as liberally as this writer does mayo over her French fries.

Intrigued? Us too – especially as Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short are all set to lend their talents to Only Murders In The Building.

And the trailer looks so, so good.

Check it out:

A murder to solve, a killer in the building, a long list of suspects, and mildly threatening text messages from a mysterious someone?

To quote Gomez: shit just got super real. And we are into it.

Here’s everything you need to know before the bingefest begins.

What’s the plot of Only Murders In The Building?

As reported on 23 June: The series follows three strangers (Gomez, Martin, and Short) who – much like basically everyone in the entire world, if Netflix’s Top 10 list is to be believed – are utterly obsessed with true crime. They soon realise, though, that playing armchair detective is infinitely more enjoyable when… well, when a) there’s a TV screen separating you from all the gore and guts, and b) there’s an actual armchair involved. 

As per the show’s official synopsis: “When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth.

“As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years… [but] perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another.”

It finishes starkly: “Soon, the endangered trio comes to realise a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late.”

Anyone else already begun to suspect that one of our triumvirate is, in fact, a killer in disguise? Just us? Fine.

Who else stars in Only Murders In The Building?

As if the combined megawattage of Gomez, Martin and Short weren’t enough to draw you in, none other than Nathan Lane will play a recurring role as “a building resident and owner of a popular New York City grocery chain,” promises Deadline.

The Office’s Amy Ryan (aka Holly Flax) and Aaron Dominguez are also set to star.

Considering how many of us have spent the last year in lockdown, curtains twitching whenever someone walks past, the answer to this is a big fat resounding ‘hell yes’. No wonder everyone on YouTube is so excited, eh?

“Yes! Oh my god, Selena is coming through and serving us everything!” reads one comment. “What a queen!”

Another says: “I’m definitely going to watch this.”

And still one more raves: “I am so excited – this looks so good.”

What are people saying about Only Murders In The Building?

All good things, obviously. In fact, during an Instagram Live back in February (which you can watch below in two parts), Gomez opened up about the unique tone of the show, revealing: “It’s kind of a dramedy, so there are moments that are real and then there are other moments that are complete chaos and hilarious.

“I’m working with Steve Martin and Martin Short and if you don’t know their work, by the way, they’re pretty amazing people to be around.”

Short, meanwhile, told The Daily Beast: “It’s about three people who live in one of those upscale apartment buildings in New York. They see each on the elevator, they kind of nod, but they never really speak. They don’t even know each other’s names.

“Then, you find out that each one of them goes to their individual apartments and just turns on true crime and obsesses. And then one time they’re in the elevator with this fourth person. And they find out that the fourth person is killed and they’re determined to solve it. But they make a pact: only murders in the building will they solve. Because they can’t be bothered to go outside.”

Elsewhere, Martin has said that, when he pitched the idea to producers, he initially didn’t intend for himself and Short to star. 

“I didn’t even think about it for Marty and me,” he admitted to Empire. “I thought about it for three older actors. And then the producers I pitched it to said, ‘Would you consider it?’ I said I would, only if Marty was in it.

“I didn’t realise how broke Marty was and he said he’d do it.”

When will Only Murders In The Building become available for streaming?

The series will premiere exclusively via Star on Disney+ as a Star Original from Tuesday 31 August, so we have our summer viewing sorted.

Who else is excited?

Images: Disney/Hulu