Revealed: The Real Reason Kim Cattrall Nixed ‘Sex and the City 3’
Sex and the City allowed fans to watch four women navigating life, love, friendship, and sex in Manhattan. The groundbreaking series and subsequent movies enjoyed success beyond the producers’ wildest expectations, but fans who were hoping to see more from Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte,
While rumors swirled about a third Sex and the City movie, Sarah Jessica Parker who played the lead character, Carrie Bradshaw, put the rumors to rest last year. She said, in an interview, that it was not going to happen. Fans, however, just found out that a script for the third film existed and was ready to go, but Kim Cattrall put the kibosh on the film. While her well-documented feud with Parker seemed to be the root cause of the canceled project, her reasons are a bit more complicated than merely hating a co-star.
Cattrall’s character had no development
While Kim Cattrall has not been shy about her distaste for co-star Sarah Jessica Parker, her refusal to take part in the second film was less about her feud and more about her desire to see true character development for Samantha Jones.
The third installment of the film focused too intently on Carrie Bradshaw for Cattrall’s liking, and she just did not feel like there was enough in the script for Samantha Jones. Cattrall’s portrayal of Jones, a sex-crazed independent woman, was an essential part of the show’s success and cult-like following. The fact that Sex and the City 3 did nothing to further the character rubbed Cattrall the wrong way and forced her to pass on the project.
Mr. Big dies in Sex and the City 3
Long-time fans of the show and its subsequent movies often tuned in to see Mr. Big and Carrie Bradshaw. The on-again-off-again nature of their relationship resonated with women who saw some of their own relationship dynamics playing out on the screen in front of them. In Sex and the City: The Movie, fans were delighted to see Mr. Big and Carrie Bradshaw finally tie the knot, even if the majority of the movie employed the all-too-familiar “will they or won’t they” relationship dynamic to drive the plot.
Sex and the City 2 offered less to fans but still made Carrie and Big’s relationship the focus of the film. Sex and the City 3 was planned to be very different, but not different enough for Kim Cattrall. In the script for the third installment of the series, obtained by James Andrew Miller, Mr. Big dies after suffering a heart attack in the shower. His death comes relatively early in the script, according to Miller.
Big’s death and Carrie’s life after serves as the main plot of the movie. The rest of the characters, including Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda become secondary characters to Carrie’s heartbreak.
Samantha Jones’ story arc was distasteful
While the lack of character development was a big part of Cattrall’s decision, a distasteful story arc for the character is what really pushed her over the edge. According to W Magazine, the proposed story arc for Samantha Jones included a sexting scandal involving Brady Hobbes, the son of her fictional friend. According to the leaked script details, Hobbes, now 14, sends nude photos to Jones.
Further information about the story arc was not divulged, but the entire ordeal really soured Cattrall’s thoughts on the third film. According to reports, Cattrall was never particularly interested in taking part in a third installment, anyway. The actress famously held up production on the second film with contract negotiations.
