It has to be the most-anticipated television event of the year: the return of Sex and the City to HBO Max (and, in Australia, Foxtel and Binge).

Right now across New York, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and many more of the original castmembers are stepping into their Manolos and their Jimmy Choos to film scenes from And Just Like That, the Sex and the City continuation that will stream later this year. The reboot had long been teased by the stars and finally, with the launch of HBO Max last year, was put into motion.

But what do we know about the series? Which castmembers are returning – and which ones aren’t? What will it be about? And when will we get to binge watch the whole thing? Here is everything we know about the series so far.

Who is in the main cast of And Just Like That, the Sex and the City reboot?

Do you want the good news or the bad news? Well, the good news is that many of the original cast are returning. That includes Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, Cynthia Nixon as Miranda Hobbes and Kristin Davis as Charlotte York Goldenblatt. Kim Cattrall, who was a forever fan favourite as the ballsy publicist Samantha Jones, will not be returning, however.

It’s a tough blow for fans, who have long held Samantha aloft as one of the best things about the original Sex and the City series: funny, frank, sex positive and a fearless friend. Still, we respect Cattrall’s reasons for not returning and will just have to settle for a re-watch of the original to get our Samantha fix.

Who is in the supporting cast of And Just Like That?

Are you ready? The series is working hard to bring back all of your favourites from the over the years. And we mean all.

Chris Noth – Mr Big himself – will be back as John James Preston, Carrie’s longtime partner and now husband. Parker has already shared snaps of the two together on the set. Both David Eigenberg, who plays Miranda’s husband Steve Brady, and Evan Handler, who plays Charlotte’s husband Harry Goldenblatt, will also return. As will John Corbett, Carrie’s one who got away: Aidan. Corbett’s Aidan, a hunky furniture maker, good with his hands and all that, was always one of the show’s most popular characters. In interviews, Corbett has called his character arc very “exciting”. Whatever could that mean!

There will also be appearances from more of the series’ most iconic supporting castmembers, including Willie Garson as Stanford Blatch, Mario Cantone as Anthony Marentino, Bridget Moynahan as Natasha Naginsky and Julie Halston as Bitsy von Muffling. There will also be new actors cast as Miranda and Charlotte’s children.

Who are the new cast members joining And Just Like That?

Alongside fan favourites, there will also be some new characters in the reboot. Sara Ramirez, a nonbinary actor who you might recognise from Grey’s Anatomy, will play a nonbinary, queer comedian with a returning role. Ramirez’s character is Che Diaz, a podcast host who regularly works with Carrie.

Also new to the cast are Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman and Sarita Choudhury. Choudhury will play Seema Patel, a powerful real estate broker in Manhattan who is also single. Parker will be Lisa Todd Wexley, an Upper East Side mum of three and a documentary maker. (We can see her rubbing shoulders with Charlotte already.) Hamilton star Christopher Jackson is also joining the series as Wexley’s husband, a hedge fund manager and successful banker. Pittman will star as Dr Nya Wallace, a Columbia law professor who is sure to be somehow linked to Miranda. We cannot wait to meet these new characters!

Who is working behind the scenes on And Just Like That?

Parker is a producer on the show alongside Michael Patrick King, Sex and the City’s original creator, who is serving as showrunner. The writer’s room will be diverse, balancing original Sex and the City scribes and new voices, to help tell a more inclusive and modern narrative in the series.

Casey Bloys of HBO Max has said that both King and Parker “didn’t want to tell a story with all- white writers or an all-white cast” this time around. “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.”

Patricia Field, the legendary costume designer and stylist on the original series will unfortunately not be returning, however. Field is the woman who made the original show sing: she styled the iconic tutu skirt, all of Carrie’s flower pins and Fendi baguettes and fancy shoes and silly hats. But sadly, Field is too busy working on Netflix’s Emily In Paris, currently in its second season, to commit to And Just Like That. We will miss Field’s unique stylings, but welcome the team who will translate her original design aesthetic into this new reboot. Already, the outfits we have seen on social media have been incredible.

What is the plot of And Just Like That?

The exact plot of the reboot, or revival, as they are calling it at HBO Max, is unknown. But HBO’s Bloys has said that the series will talk about the pandemic as well as issues that would realistically impact these women as they enter their fifties.

“They’re not trying to re-do Sex and the City,” Bloys has said. “They’re not trying to say that these characters are reliving their thirties. It is very much a story about women in their fifties, and they are dealing with things that people deal with in their fifties... 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. They’re trying to tell an honest story about being a woman in her fifties 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.”

What is the release date of And Just Like That?

The series is still in production in New York, though HBO Max have pegged it as ‘coming soon’. In Australia, it will air on Binge and Foxtel, so keep your eyes peeled for announcements from then. There’s still plenty of time to do a rewatch of the original beforehand, though!

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