'Sex and the City' showrunner addresses Kim Cattrall's absence from the revival and reveals it was 'never' the plan to have her in the new show

• The "Sex and the City" boss told THR that Kim Cattrall was "never" part of plans for the revival.
• He also teased that fans can expect a different vibe from this new chapter in the franchise.

With a new chapter of the "Sex and the City" franchise around the corner, showrunner Michael Patrick King told The Hollywood Reporter that fan-favorite character Samantha (Kim Cattrall) was "never" going to be part of "And Just Like That."

"Kim Cattrall, for whatever reason, didn't want to play Samantha anymore while we were doing the [third] movie," King said. So, he never felt the hole that some fans are afraid will be ever-present in the revival.

"Samantha doesn't not exist in their lives," he clarified, hinting that there will be mentions of her in "And Just Like That."

King said he is "excited" about the project, which isn't just a retelling of "Sex and the City" 20 years later. "We had a discussion with everybody because nobody wanted to come back and just do what they did," he added.

New characters played by Sara Ramirez, Karen Pittman, and Sarita Choudhury will find their stride alongside Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and King warned fans that it may not feel like the familiar franchise they thought they knew.

"There's something new in this version. This isn't what was; it's what's next," King said.

Those who have been following the drama within the "Sex and the City" franchise for years probably aren't surprised by Cattrall's absence from the revival. In 2017, the Daily Mail reported that a third movie within the franchise was "shelved" because of Cattrall's "demands." Parker later confirmed to Extra that plans to shoot the film were "over."

Cattrall took to Twitter to respond to the Daily Mail's report, writing in part, "The only 'DEMAND' I ever made was that I didn't want to do a 3rd film....& that was back in 2016."

—Kim Cattrall (@KimCattrall) September 29, 2017

There have also been reports that Cattrall and Parker didn't get along. The New York Post reported in 2017 that Parker, Davis, and Nixon formed a clique while filming the HBO hit that excluded Cattrall, so tension has built for many years.

In the comments of an Instagram post announcing "And Just Like That," Parker answered a fan who claimed that she and Cattrall "dislike" each other.

"No. I don't dislike her. I've never said that. Never would," Parker wrote. "Samantha isnt [sic] part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do."

"And Just Like That" premieres on HBO Max December 9.