LIFE & CULTURE

Everything We Know About ‘Sex And The City’s’ Revival, ‘And Just Like That…’

Including which cast have decided not to return...

It’s officially happening! In January 2021, Sarah Jessica Parker finally confirmed Sex And The City will return with a new revival on HBO Max.

Parker, who originally starred as Carrie Bradshaw in the iconic series, took to Instagram to confirm the news, sharing that fellow cast members Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis will also be reprising their roles as Miranda Hobbes and Charlotte York

It was confirmed that Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones, would not return. 

Sex And The City was created by Darren Star based on Candace Bushnell’s 1997 book of the same name. The original series, which premiered on HBO in 1998, ran for six seasons until 2004. 

The iconic show was later made into two films, Sex And The City in 2008, and Sex And The City 2 in 2010. 

Below, everything we know about the upcoming Sex And The City revival. 

Sarah Jessica Parker Released Our First Look Teaser Trailer. 

Releasing a teaser to social media, Parker says in Bradshaw’s signature voiceover: “I couldn’t help but wonder… where are they now?” 

According to Varietythe revival will follow Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte as they navigate love and friendship in their 50s. And while Samantha Jones will sadly depart the franchise, there looks to be another major character entering the group—COVID-19.

The Series Will Add A Nonbinary Character As A Series Regular

And Just Like That has started building its series regulars, beginning by casting Grey’s Anatomy star, Sara Ramírez, as the show’s first openly nonbinary character, named Che Diaz. 

As per The Hollywood ReporterDiaz is a “nonbinary, queer stand-up comedian who hosts a podcast on which Carrie is regularly featured. Che is a big presence with a big heart whose outrageous sense of humour and progressive, human overview of gender roles has made them and their podcast very popular.”

Executive producer of the original Sex And The City franchise, Michael Patrick King, who is involved with the reboot, released a statement about their casting choice of Ramírez, confirming that the cast and production team is “beyond thrilled” to have them on board.

“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,” he said per THR.

The choice to cast Ramírez shows how the reboot to right the wrongs from the original series that was criticised, even by Kim Cattrall, for its blatant lack of diversity.

A pioneer on TV and a Tony Award winner, Ramírez has previously played a bisexual nonbinary character on Madam Secretary, as well as her most notable role as bisexual surgeon, Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy.

Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones Will Not Appear. 

Curious what will happen to our favourite PR agent? HBO has confirmed that Jones and the trio will simply just grow apart.

Speaking to TVLine, HBO’s Casey Bloys revealed that the removal of Samantha’s character will be due to the group drifting apart, as friends do, saying: “Just as in real life, people come into your life, people leave.”

“Friendships fade, and new friendships start,” Bloys continued. “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.”

The Original Creative Team Will Return. 

The new series, titled And Just Like That…, is being executive produced by Michael Patrick King, who also worked on the original series and will consist of ten half-hour episodes and is set to begin production in New York City later this year.

“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, humour and the beloved city that has always defined them,” Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max, said in a statement. 

John Corbett Will Reprise His Role As Aidan Shaw.

On April 15, John Corbett, who played Carried ex-fiancé Aidan on Sex and the City, has revealed the character will be returning to the HBO Max revival. 

The actor told Page Six he is “going to do the show”, telling the outlet the news was “very exciting.” 

As for how many episodes he’ll appear in, Corbett revealed, “I think I might be in quite a few,” adding, “I like all those people, they’ve been very nice to me.” 

carrie bradshaw

COVID-19 Will Feature In The Plot. 

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Sarah Jessica Parker revealed that the reboot will not only cover the coronavirus pandemic, but its storyline will reflect present-day and the current affairs that are relevant as of now. 

“[COVID-19 will] obviously be part of the storyline, because that’s the city [these characters] live in,” Parker told Vanity Fair. “And how has that changed relationships once friends disappear? I have great faith that the writers are going to examine it all.”

Continuing, Parker ensured that the And Just Like That… writers are set to bring new “life experience, political world views, and social world views” to the storyline. 

The Show’s Leading Men Are Reprising Their Iconic Roles. 

According to a Deadline report in June 2021, Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, Willie Garson, David Eigenberg and Evan Handler will be headed back to their iconic roles for the upcoming reboot.

In the original HBO hit, Chris Noth played Carrie’s longtime boyfriend-turned-husband, Mr. Big; David Eigenberg played Steve, the longtime partner of Cynthia Nixon’s Miranda; Evan Handler starred as Charlotte’s divorce lawyer-turned-husband, Harry; with Mario Cantone and Willie Garson playing Charlotte and Carrie’s close friends, Anthony and Stanford, who were married in the film Sex & The City 2.

At the moment these are just reports, and no official word from HBO Max has confirmed whether the characters will or will not return. 

Stay tuned for more information on the upcoming revival! 

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