Sarah Jessica Parker Shared a New Cast Photo After the 'Sex and the City' Reboot's First Table Reads

The rumors are true: Sex and the City is coming back.

A 10-episode revival, titled And Just Like That..., is headed to HBO Max with members of the original cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis. According to past reports, Kim Cattrall won't return to reprise her role as Samantha Jones.

Though the release date of the limited series is still unknown, Parker and her costars shared a clip teasing the show in January, featuring scenes around New York City. "I couldn't help but wonder... where are they now?" Parker teased in an Instagram video, channeling Carrie Bradshaw's signature writing style.

"Anything is possible....Meet you there!" wrote Davis, who'll return as Charlotte York. Nixon, who plays Miranda Hobbes, posted, "You, me, New York...anything is possible."

SATC, created by Darren Star (Younger, Emily in Paris) and based on the book by Candace Bushnell, originally aired on HBO from 1998 to 2004. It was followed by a film in 2008 and sequel in 2010.

Rumors first bubbled up last December that the reboot was a possibility, although without Cattrall. The upcoming revival will focus on Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte "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," Deadline reported.

Here's what else we know.

The cast is back on set.

On June 11, Sarah Jessica Parker shared a picture of herself along with OG Sex and the City costars Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis after doing read-throughs to prepare to get to work filming the revival series.

"Together again. 💜," she wrote in the photo's caption. "Read through our first episodes.
@justlikethatmax. Alongside all the fellas and our newest cast members. Like an ice cream sundae. X, SJ."

We got a hint about Samantha's absence.

HBO's president of programming, Casey Bloys, said that the network isn't "trying to re-do" Sex and the City. He explained, "They're not trying to say that these characters are reliving their 30s. It is very much a story about women in their 50s, and they are dealing with things that people deal with in their 50s."

Hinting at Samantha's absence, he added that "just as in real life, people come into your life, people leave."

Bloys continued, "Friendships fade, and new friendships start. So I think it is all very indicative of the real stages, the actual stages of life."

Production is expected to start soon.

Production is slated to begin in New York this summer according to Deadline. Parker, Nixon, and Davis will all executive-produce along with Michael Patrick King, who wrote and directed both SATC films.

Mr. Big is coming back after all.

Months after Page Six reported that Chris Noth would not be reprising his role as Mr. Big, Deadline confirmed that the actor will indeed appear in the Sex and the City reboot as his beloved character.

"How could we ever do a new chapter of the Sex and the City story without our Mr. Big?" executive producer King said, echoing all our thoughts. Noth had actually "been in talks for a while," per Deadline, despite reports saying otherwise.

The actor even teased fans when rumors broke in February saying he wouldn't be in the revival. He joked to one commenter on Instagram, "Well if Page Six says it... it must be true😉." And to another, he replied, "Everything changes—including announcements in the rags."

Page Six had also reported that David Eigenberg, who plays Miranda's man, Steve Brady, also wouldn't be returning, but a rep for the actor said that he's in negotiations to make an appearance on the new show.

Aiden is coming back.

In an interview with Page Six, John Corbett confirmed that he will be returning for the revival to reprise his role as Carrie's ex-fiancé, furniture designer Aidan Shaw.

"I’m going to do the show," he said, adding that returning to the role is "very exciting."

When asked how many episodes fans can expect to see Aiden in, Corbett had very good news (for Aiden fans, anyway—not-so-much if you're so firmly Team Big that you want zero Aiden in the revival).

"I think I might be in quite a few," he said. Of the cast and crew of the long-running HBO comedy, he added, "I like all those people, they’ve been very nice to me."

Steve will return.

HBO Max announced the news on And Just Like That...'s Instagram page, confirming that David Eigenberg will reprise his role as Steve Brady. The news came months after rumors of Eigenberg's return began circulating.

The actor previously talked to Us Weekly in March 2021 of the possibility of his return. "I really love that show. I think it’s really interesting that they’ve brought it back," Eigenberg said at the time, adding that he would love to work with his onscreen wife, Cynthia Nixon, again. "[She’s] a dream to work with."

Eigenberg did point out one hesitation he has about returning to his iconic SATC role, however: It would mean playing Steve without Anne Meara, the legendary actress who played his character's mom, Mary Brady.

"That’s kind of heartbreaking because she was a dear lady and a dear friend of mine," Eigenberg said of Meara, who died in May 2015. "It’s a sad thing to go back because that character, you know, [the] lineage is gone, and Anne as a human being wouldn’t be there. It’s a strange thing, but we’ll see. … If it can work out, we may be going down that road."

The COVID-19 pandemic will play a part.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Parker revealed that the pandemic would have an impact on And Just Like That..., which is set to start shooting in 2021. Parker told the publication that COVID-19's effect on New York City would "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."

She continued, "I think that Cynthia [Nixon], Kristin [Davis], and I are all excited about the time that has passed. 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."

Three women of color are reportedly joining the cast.

The SATC reboot writers are "dramatically expanding Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte’s social circle" with about half a dozen new characters, TVLine reports exclusively. Three of them will be women of color, all series regulars. But HBO has not yet confirmed the news.

King, also the showrunner, is leading the writer's room, and half of the team is non-white. Samantha Irby (Shrill, author of We Are Never Meeting in Real Life), Rachna Fruchbom (Fresh Off the Boat), and Keli Goff (Black Lightning) join King and longtime SATC writers Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky.

King and Sarah Jessica Parker "didn’t want to tell a story with all-white writers or an all-white cast" for the revival, HBO's Casey Bloys previously said. "It’s not reflective of New York. So they are being very, very conscious about understanding that New York has to reflect the way New York looks today."

During her interview with Vanity Fair, Parker also praised the writing team for being "incredibly diverse in a really exciting way."

Samantha's longtime boyfriend, Smith Jerrod, won't be a part of the revival.

Actor Jason Lewis, who played the longtime model-turned-actor romantic companion of Kim Cattrall's Samantha Jones, confirmed that there aren't plans for his character to make a comeback on the upcoming HBO Max revival. Along with portraying Jerrod for 16 episodes during the hit series, the actor also appeared in both feature film sequels.

"I have not [been approached}, but I would be the last to know! As much as I appreciate the flattery, the conversation is about the girls," he told the Daily Front Row.

Lewis not being a part of the new reiteration also makes sense considering Cattrall's absence from the reboot as well.

Sara Ramirez is joining the cast.

Deadline reported that Grey's Anatomy star Sara Ramirez will play a new character, Che Diaz, a nonbinary stand-up comedian who hosts a podcast that regularly features Carrie Bradshaw. "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," the site reported. They would also be the first nonbinary character in the franchise, The Hollywood Reporter notes.

"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," King told Deadline. "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."

Patricia Field won't be part of the reboot.

The iconic Sex and the City costume designer won't be returning for And Just Like That. Field currently has her hands full working on Season 2 of Darren Star's Emily in Paris, consulting on the Starz series Run the World, running a gallery on the Lower East Side, and more.

"The main reason was a time conflict," she told WWD of not returning to SATC. "I wasn’t able to be in New York doing that and be in Paris doing Emily in Paris. But I told them to call my very dear friend Molly Rogers, who also worked in my store back in the day. She did Sex and the City with me from start to finish. She knew it well so she’s doing it. My dance card was full."

In addition to SATC, Rogers has worked on costumes for The Devil Wears Prada and Ugly Betty.

Anthony, Standford, and Harry are also returning.

HBO Max also announced more returning cast members: Mario Cantone as Anthony Marentino, Willie Garson as Standford Blatch, and Evan Handler as Harry Goldenblatt.

The first table read already happened.

Sarah Jessica Parker shared a sneak peek at the first And Just Like That... table read on June 11. Her script made an appearance in the snap, but unfortunately, we couldn't read what was in it.

And in a nostalgic move, Parker prepared by hit Carrie Bradshaw’s house the night before.

"Pure coincidence AND JUST LIKE THAT, we find ourselves on this street called Perry the night before it all begins again. MPK, here we go. And I’m thrilled and terrified," she wrote.

Watch this space for updates.

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