And Just Like That is taking us back into the world of Sex and the City. Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda’s stories are far from over and will be explored in the new series. As for Samantha, she will not be featured in the series. And Just Like That boss Michael Patrick King reveals that Kim Cattrall’s Samantha was not a part of And Just Like That from the start.
“And Just Like That was never four,” Michael told The Hollywood Reporter. “It never was on the radar as four because Kim Cattrall, for whatever reason, didn’t want to play Samantha anymore while we were doing the [third] movie. I never thought, ‘Oh, there’s a hole I have to fill.’ Samantha doesn’t not exist in their lives. The show was born of these three characters: What’s their life, and who can I bring in to inform it? Listen, I wouldn’t do this again if I wasn’t excited about the idea. And even though people think this is a franchise that they’re familiar with, there’s something new in this version. This isn’t what was; it’s what’s next.”
As Michael explains, Samantha still exists in the world of And Just Like That. When the series was first announced, many fans wondered if Samantha would be killed off. HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys stressed that would not be the case. He told TVLine that the SATC revival is “very much a story about women in their 50s, and they are dealing with things that people deal with in their 50s. 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.”
Sarah Jessica Parker also weighed in about Samantha’s absence on Instagram. When a fan commented that Sarah and Kim “dislike” each other in January 2021, Sarah responded, “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.”
The cast of And Just Like That still features plenty of familiar faces. In addition to Sarah, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon, fan-faves like Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, and the late Willie Garson will also be returning. And Just Like That premieres December 9 on HBO Max.