HBO Max announced the news on Tuesday, March 22, just over one month after the finale debuted. “I am delighted and excited to tell more stories about these vibrant, bold characters — played by these powerful, amazing actors,” showrunner Michael Patrick King said in a statement. “The fact is, we’re all thrilled. And Just Like That … our Sex life is back.”
Sarah Aubrey, head of original content for HBO Max, added: “We have been delighted by the cultural conversation generated by these characters and their stories, set in a world we already know and love so much. We are proud of the work Michael Patrick King and our wonderful writers, producers, cast and crew have done to bring these stories to the screen. We can’t wait for fans to see what’s in store for season two.”
Season 1 of And Just Like That premiered in December 2021, with Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis reprising their roles as Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes and Charlotte York, respectively. Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones in the original series and two movies, famously did not return — and that was only the first roadblock the revival faced.
In September 2021, Willie Garson, who played Carrie’s friend Stanford Blatch, died of pancreatic cancer at age 57. The actor had already filmed a handful of AJLT episodes, but he was originally scheduled to appear in all 10. King rewrote Stanford’s story line after Garson’s death, with the character moving to Tokyo following his split from Anthony (Mario Cantone).
“Before I knew that Willie was sick and couldn’t complete it, Stanford was going to have a midlife crisis,” King told Variety in February. “Stanford’s character always had a borderline career as a manager, and we were like going to explore the fact that it wasn’t a real career. It was going to be Carrie and him, feeling the shifts.”
One week after the AJLT series premiere, multiple women accused Chris Noth of sexual assault. The actor denied the allegations, but a planned cameo for his character, Mr. Big, in the season finale was scrapped. (Mr. Big had already been killed off in the first episode.)
After the allegations surfaced, an insider told Us Weekly that Parker was “heartbroken” about the accusations. “She is fiercely protective of Carrie Bradshaw and livid that she and everyone else at the show has been put into this position,” the source explained. “It is not about the money, but rather her legacy. Carrie was all about helping women and now, under her watch, women are saying that they have been hurt.”