Why Did Kim Cattrall Just Say Yes to 'And Just Like That?'

Why Did Kim Cattrall Say 'Yes' to 'And Just Like That?'

It is the big, unanswered question this week after it was announced that Cattrall would reprieve her character of Samantha Jones for the show's sequel "And Just Like That..." Personal friction and business issues were thought to be the reasons behind Cattrall not being part of the show.

Variety writes Cattrall will "only appear in one scene. According to sources, Cattrall shot her dialogue on March 22 in New York City, without seeing or speaking with the stars of the series, including Sarah Jessica Parker, or with 'And Just Like That' showrunner Michael Patrick King."

"In the scene, Samantha, who in the show has moved to London, will have a phone conversation with Parker's Carrie Bradshaw. In the first season of 'And Just Like That,' Carrie engaged with an estranged Samantha over text, and in the finale, the two made a plan to see each other in order to reconcile. Famed 'Sex and the City' costume designer Patricia Field, who has not been working on 'And Just Like That,' dressed Samantha for her scene."

The Daily Mail reveals that "Cattrall was convinced to join 'And Just Like That' with promise of 'nice career boost and great payday' by her 'dear friend' and producer Darren Star.'"

The DM writes that "according to the well-placed insider, fans of the show can thank show creator Darren, 61, for Samantha's upcoming return, with the source revealing that he was the one who convinced Kim that she needed to give the character a proper goodbye."

What made her finally fold to do it now? the DM asked. "It was her connection with her dear friend Darren Star, who created 'Sex' that kept asking her to be a part of the show that finally convinced her to do it,' the insider shared.

"Kim decided if she was ever going to button up the character and then not be asked about it again, she should do it now. She is doing it for her friend Darren first. But she is also doing it as she realizes it will be a nice career boost and a great payday above all of that."

"The insider continues: "She got to an understanding with Darren that she needed an amazing send-off and they figured it out. Everything has now fallen into place, Kim still can't believe she was convinced to do it, but she is going to do it and let the scene speak for itself. Sex And The City gave Kim so much, so she is giving the appropriate swan song and Kim hopes everyone is happy with the results."

However, the DM adds, Kim's return to the franchise has done little to change her frosty relationship with Sarah, 58, the source explained - revealing that while the two women have come to 'an understanding', there is likely no chance they will ever be friends in the future.

Variety reported that Cattrall publicly announced in 2016 that she was done playing Samantha when she didn't feel like the script for a proposed third film did justice to the character. "I would have preferred for all of us to have some kind of event to warrant a third film," Cattrall told Variety in 2022. "That didn't happen."

Her decision to step away from Samantha led to a public fallout with Parker. When King and Parker rebooted "Sex and the City" as a new series for what was then HBO Max in 2021, Cattrall wasn't approached to reprise Samantha, and the new show added other characters – to mixed reviews – in the lives of Carrie, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristen Davis) to fill her place.

As they were doing press last year, both Parker and King said that they couldn't fathom a scenario in which Cattrall would play Samantha again.