And just like that, the cast of the ‘Sex and the City’ revival keeps getting bigger! Nicole Ari Parker, Sarita Choudhury and Karen Pittman were just announced as the show’s newest additions.
The Sex and the City revival has already started filming, and on July 14, TVLine reported that Nicole Ari Parker, Sarita Choudhury and Karen Pittman were added to the cast. Since the revival, which is titled And Just Like That, was announced, there have been a number of new updates. The epic cast just keeps lining up for this highly-anticipated revival. HollywoodLife is breaking down all the latest news about the highly-anticipated Sex and the City revival.
Is ‘Sex and the City’ Coming Back?
Yes, Sex and the City is coming back, but not exactly as Sex and the City. The Sex and the City revival is officially titled And Just Like That and will air exclusively on HBO Max. The revival is a “new chapter” of Sex and the City and follows Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) as they “navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.”
The Sex and the City revival was confirmed in January 2021. “I grew up with these characters, and I can’t wait to see how their story has evolved in this new chapter, with the honesty, poignancy, humor and the beloved city that has always defined them,” Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content at HBO Max, said in a statement when the revival was announced.
Release Date & Filming
The Sex and the City revival, And Just Like That, does not have a release date yet. The series will consist of 10 half-hour episodes. Filming is expected to begin in New York City in late spring 2021.
SJP admitted that she was thrilled to be shooting in New York City again, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “[We’re] shooting it in a city that we love and hoping to be part of a city that’s able to support artists and culture and institutions that have been closed down and the businesses that have been hurt [during COVID-19],” she told TMZ in January 2021.
Is There A Trailer?
There isn’t a trailer for And Just Like That at the moment. When the revival was announced, the Sex and the City trio posted a short teaser featuring a busy New York City street, the subway, and more.
“I couldn’t help but wonder… where are they now?” Sarah captioned the video on Instagram. Cynthia posted the same video and wrote, “You, me, New York…anything is possible.” Kristin wrote, “Anything is possible…. Meet you there!”
Why Is Samantha Not Returning?
Kim Cattrall’s iconic character Samantha Jones will not be featured in the Sex and the City revival. Kim has been open about not being interested in reprising the role of Samantha since Sex and the City 2 was released in 2011.
Sarah commented directly about Kim’s absence when a fan commented on SJP’s Instagram post of the And Just Like That teaser. A fan wrote, “Happy to see you back but will miss Kim/Samantha.” Sarah replied, “We will too. We loved her so.”
The actress also responded to another fan who commented that she and Kim “dislike each other.” SJP wrote, “No. I don’t dislike her. I’ve never said that. Never would. Samantha isn’t part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do.”
Kim has not spoken out directly about the Sex and the City revival. However, she did like a tweet that a fan wrote. “I absolutely love Sex and the City and whilst I am saddened that Samantha will not return, I applaud doing what is best for you and think this is [a] great example of putting yourself first,” the tweet read. There’s no word yet as to how Samantha’s absence will be addressed on And Just Like That.
Casey Bloys, the HBO and HBO Max Chief Content Officer, opened up about Samantha not being a part of the revival in February 2021. “It’s like real life, the people you were friends with in your 30s not always are the same when you are in your 50s. It reflects the different stages of life,” he told Deadline.
He continued: “Just as in real life, people come into your life, people leave. Friendships fade, and new friendships start. So I think it is all very indicative of the real stages, the actual stages of life… They’re trying to tell an honest story about being a woman in her 50s in New York. So it should all feel somewhat organic, and the friends that you have when you’re 30, you may not have when you’re 50.”
Sarah stressed that the show would not be replacing Samantha in any way. “We’re not looking to create a fourth character,” the shoe designer told TMZ in January 2021. “We have New York City as the fourth character. There will be lots of interesting, new characters we are super excited about.”
New & Familiar Faces
While Kim will not be coming back, Sarah, Cynthia, and Kristin are confirmed to return as Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes, and Charlotte York. On May 26, HBO Max confirmed that Chris Noth would be reprising the role of Mr. Big in And Just Like That. “I’m thrilled to be working with Chris again on And Just Like That… How could we ever do a new chapter of the Sex and the City story without our Mr. Big?” executive producer Michael Patrick King said in a statement.
Carrie and Big famously married at the end of the first Sex and the City movie. Page Six reported in February 2021 that Chris Noth would not be returning as Mr. Big. When a fan asked him to “reconsider,” Chris responded on Instagram, “Well. if Page Six says it… it must be true.” He also added a winky face emoji. He also replied to another fan about returning and said, “Everything changes- including announcements in the rags.”
For all those Team Aidan fans out thought, John Corbett has revealed that he will be reprising the fan-favorite role of Aidan Shaw. “I’m going to do the show,” he told Page Six. He also gushed that returning for the revival is “very exciting” for him. As for how many episodes Aidan will be in, John said, “I think I might be in quite a few… I like all those people, they’ve been very nice to me.”
The Page Six report also noted that David Eigenberg, who played Miranda’s husband Steve, would not be returning. David, who currently stars on Chicago Fire, didn’t rule a return during an interview with Us Weekly. “If it can work out, we may be going down that road,” he said. Jason Lewis, who played the dreamy Smith Jerrod, weighed about whether or not he’d be returning as well. “I have not [been asked back], but I would be the last to know!” the actor told Fashion Week Daily in April 2021. “As much as I appreciate the flattery, the conversation is about the girls.”
However, in June 2021, HBO Max revealed that David would be reprising the role of Steve Brady in the revival. David will be returning, along with Mario Cantone as Anthony Marentino, Willie Garson as Stanford Blatch, and Evan Handler as Harry Goldenblatt. “Everyone at And Just Like That… is thrilled to be able to continue the storylines of these beloved Sex and the City characters with the actors who made them so lovable,” Michael Patrick King said in a statement.
Grey’s Anatomy alum Sara Ramírez has joined the cast of the Sex and the City revival. Sara will star as Che Diaz (they/them), a “non-binary, queer, stand-up comedian that hosts a podcast on which Carrie Bradshaw is regularly featured. Che is a big presence with a big heart whose outrageous sense of humor and progressive, human overview of gender roles has made them and their podcast very popular.” Sara posted a photo of her And Just Like That script in New York City on May 19.
Executive producer Michael Patrick King said: “Everyone at And Just Like That… is beyond thrilled that a dynamically talented actor such as Sara Ramírez has joined the Sex and the City family. Sara is a one-of-a-kind talent, equally at home with comedy and drama – and we feel excited and inspired to create this new character for the show.”
Sara won’t be the only new cast member. TVLine reported that the show will be “dramatically expanding Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte’s social circle with roughly a half dozen new characters. And three of those newbies will be full-fledged series regulars and women of color.”
On July 14, TVLine further reported that those three women are Nicole Ari Parker, Sarita Choudhury and Karen Pittman. “Parker (Empire, Soul Food) will play Lisa Todd Wexley, a Park Avenue mother of three and documentarian. Choudhury (Homeland, Blindspot) will play Seema Patel, a single, self-made powerhouse Manhattan real estate broker. Pittman (The Morning Show, Marvel’s Luke Cage) will play Dr. Nya Wallace, a brilliant, challenging Columbia Law professor,” according to TVLine.
“Everyone at And Just Like That… is thrilled to have these amazing and vibrant actors join the Sex and the City family,” executive producer Michael Patrick King said in a statement. “Each of them will add their unique spark and big heart to these new characters and the stories we are about to tell.”
Michael, who was an executive producer and writer of the original series and directed the movies, will serve as the showrunner of And Just Like That. Darren Star, who created the original series, is not involved with the revival. Sarah, Kristin, and Cynthia will also serve as executive producers.
The writers’ room of And Just Like That has already been set, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Samantha Irby will serve as a writer and co-producer. Rachna Fruchbom is a writer and co-exec producer. Keli Goff joins as a writer and supervising producer. Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky will serve as writers and executive producers. Julie and Elisa previously worked with Michael and Sarah, Cynthia, and Kristin on Sex and the City.
‘And Just Like That’ Plot
There are plenty of theories out there about what’s happened to Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha in the decade since we last saw them. Sarah revealed to Vanity Fair that she’s excited to explore where Carrie and her friends are at in this stage of their lives.
SJP said: “You know, who are they in this world now? Have they adapted? What part have they played? Where have they fallen short as women, as friends, and how are they finding their way? Did they move with momentum? Are they like some people who are confused, threatened, nervous [by what’s happening in the world]? I’m so curious and excited to see how the writers imagine these women today. What is their relationship to social media? What has changed?” Since Miranda and Charlotte will be mothers of teenagers, Sarah wondered, “What is their life like? For Carrie, who doesn’t have family beyond her friendships, where is she professionally? How have all of these political changes affected her work? Is she still writing a column? Has she written any more books? Or does she have a podcast? What does fashion mean to her now? How have the friendships changed or not changed, and has her social circle grown?”
The Emmy-winning actress also confirmed that the revival will address the COVID-19 pandemic. She said it will “obviously be part of the storyline because that’s the city [these characters] live in. And how has that changed relationships once friends disappear? I have great faith that the writers are going to examine it all.”
Will ‘Sex & The City 3’ Ever Happen?
Sadly, Sex and the City 3 will likely never happen. Both Sex and the City movies were box office hits. The first one earned over $418 million at the box office, with the second one earning over $294 million. Rumors swirled for years that Sex and the City 3 would eventually happen, but Sarah ruled it out in a 2017 interview. “It’s over,” the actress told Extra. “We’re not doing it. I’m disappointed. We had this beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, joyful, very relatable script and story. “It’s not just disappointing that we don’t get to tell the story and have that experience, but more so for that audience that has been so vocal in wanting another movie.”
A Daily Mail report claimed that Sex and the City 3 was canceled due to Kim’s “demands,” but she denied that was the case via Twitter. “Woke 2 a @MailOnline [poop emoji] storm! The only ‘DEMAND’ I ever made was that I didn’t want to do a 3rd film….& that was back in 2016,” Kim tweeted in 2017.
In the years after the show ended and the movies were underway, rumors about a feud between Kim and SJP swirled. Both Kim and Sarah addressed the rumors on multiple occasions. “It was always so heartbreaking to me that there was this narrative about Kim [Cattrall] and myself because it just didn’t reflect anything that happened on that set,” Sarah told Time.
Kim further buried the possibility of a third SATC movie in October 2017. When Piers Morgan asked Kim if there would be more Sex and the City for her in the future, Kim said, “Not for me. That was part of turning 60. That was a very clear moment of, how many years do I have left and what do I want to do with it? What haven’t I done? I feel that the show was the best when it was the series and the bonus was the two movies.”
The actress later explained that she and her co-stars have “never been friends,” and she turned down the third movie in December 2016. “The answer was simply thank you, but no, I’m good,” she told Piers. “This isn’t about more money. It’s not about more scenes. It’s not about any of those things. This is about a clear decision, an empowered decision in my life to end one chapter and start another… It’s a great part. I played it past the finish line and then some, and I loved it.”
A couple of years later, Kim told The Guardian that she “couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t just replace me with another actress instead of wasting time bullying. No means no.”
While Sex and the City 3 doesn’t seem to be in the cards, the cast members have found a way to continue the story. HollywoodLife will keep you update about the HBO Max revival as more news is released.