HBO’s Sex and the City ran for 94 episodes over six seasons and spawned two films that grossed more than $700 million at the worldwide box office (remember when movie theaters were a thing?). Needless to say, it’s been one helluva franchise over its lifetime. But does the beloved series have any juice left after all those stories? We’re about to find out as HBO Max has officially ordered a 10-episode revival titled “And Just Like That…”
The upcoming new season will follow Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) as they navigate love and friendship in their 50s. Sadly, Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones (aka the best character on the show) will not be returning.
What is perhaps even more impressive than the longevity of this series is the paydays the three stars will score for the revival. Parker, Nixon and Davis will earn more than $1 million per episode for the 10-episode revival, per Variety.
In terms of scripted television, they are now among the highest-paid TV stars in the world after Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston scored similar $1 million-plus per episode deals for Apple TV+’s The Morning Show. Witherspoon also reportedly took in $1.1 million per episode for Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere alongside co-star Kerry Washington ($1.1 million). Jeff Bridges ($1 million), Sir Patrick Stewart ($1 million) and Steve Carell ($1 million) are also in the running for highest-paid scripted TV stars for The Old Man, Star Trek: Picard and Space Force, respectively. All of this underscores the fact that writing about entertainment for a living is far less lucrative than actually making it.
The revival comes as HBO Max is enjoying a boost from the release of Wonder Woman 1984. WarnerMedia’s hope is that the 17 upcoming feature films arriving on the platform throughout 2021, as well as high-profile TV content such as a Friends cast reunion special, will transform HBO Max into a Netflix and Disney+ competitor.
Sex and the City was created by Darren Star and based on Observer columnist Candace Bushnell’s 1997 book of the same name. The original series aired on HBO from 1998 until 2004 and led to films in 2008 and 2010.