Since news of the Sex and the City (SATC) movie sequel was confirmed last summer, the media has been abuzz with rumored plot leaks, casting news and behind-the-scenes gossip that can’t help but raise an eyebrow or two. (Did Vivienne Westwood really say that she wants to write the sequel?)
Now, with filming set to start in New York and London this September, we at ChicAlert are going to try to sort the fact from the fiction, all while asking the burning questions that are sure to be of interest to Sex and the City and SATC fashion-loving fans.
From now until the sequel hits movie theatres worldwide on May 28, 2010, ChicAlert will be posting regular updates on all-things “Sex.” So, slip off your Manolos, grab a Cosmo, and share your thoughts on everything from spoilers to styling. First on the agenda, let’s take a look at what we know so far.
Sex and the City (SATC) Movie Sequel - Casting:
After much “will he or won’t he?” speculation, Chris Noth has confirmed that he will reprise his role of Mr. Big. This is welcome news since I know most will agree that it would be virtually impossible to imagine the SATC movie sequel without Chris Noth. He joins other male love interests Evan Handler (Harry Goldenblatt) and David Eigenberg (Steve Brady) who had already signed on.
As for the men in Samantha Jones’ (Kim Cattrall’s) life, it looks like we might not have seen the last of hunky actor-model Smith Jerrod played by Jason Lewis. In a recent interview with PopSugar, Lewis said, (There’s) a good chance, yeah,” when asked if he would be reprising the SATC role. Although Samantha had ended her five-year relationship with Smith in the original SATC movie so that she could refocus her life on herself, his statement has fuelled rumors that Samantha and Smith may in fact reunite in the SATC sequel. After all, Samantha didn’t actually stop loving Smith. She just realized that she needed to rediscover her identity outside the relationship – this time not as Smith’s agent or as Smith’s girlfriend, but as herself: Samantha Jones. Indeed, who can forget her heartfelt proclamation, “I’ve been in a relationship with myself for 49 years and that’s the one I want to work on.”
Dancing with the Stars first-place runner-up Gilles Marini has also gone on record as saying that he would love to reprise his SATC role as Samantha’s sexy neighbor, Dante. He told Britain’s OK! magazine, “There's a lot of talks. I’m not sure what’s going on yet. Only (writer and director) Michael Patrick King will tell me the future in a phone call - 'What about this?' And whatever he says, I will say, 'What about yes!'”
According to OK! Magazine, Marini, who also confirmed that he has landed a role in next season’s Brothers & Sisters, said that he would welcome the opportunity to explore Dante’s personality.
“I owe the movie a lot, and I know there’s much more to the character to show to the people and we saw one side. We’ll see another and whatever he writes, if I am or not, I’m super proud to have been working with him. (King).”
What do you think? Would you like to see Smith and Dante back in the Sex and the City movie sequel and back in Samantha’s life? Maybe competing for the PR guru’s affection?
Sex and the City (SATC) Movie Sequel - Plot:
Not surprisingly, writer and director Michael Patrick King has been mum about specific plotlines for the SATC movie sequel, although he did hint earlier this year that we won’t see a repeat of the gut-wrenching drama that we experienced in the first Sex and the City movie when Carrie Bradshaw was left at the alter. “In the last SATC movie, I thought (the fans) wanted to see an epic and violently tragic love story, and drama, but I don’t think you go to that candy store twice,” King said at a Writers Guild Foundation panel discussion in L.A. on January 29, 2009. “You can’t try to do what you did already, so you come up with a different tone that you like.”
As recently as this May, Kristen Davis (Charlotte) seemed to echo this same sentiment. At Modern Bride’s 25 Trendsetters of 2009 at NYC's Palace Hotel, Davis told Usmagazine.com reporters,
“I know some general ideas for the overall, and it's very exciting and very, very different than the first one -- which is the luxury of getting to do another one, you know?...We did the first one and those were kind of our pent-up things that we hadn't finished in the show or whatever," she says, "and now, we're just starting fresh in a way, which is just really exciting and -- it's just a new adventure!”
Davis also went on to say she “thinks” that the current recession will be incorporated into the plot.
“If you think about the show, we always tried to write what was happening," she said. “It’s not like we tried to pretend 9/11 didn't happen. That would just be crazy…And that's I think part of what worked about the show. It wasn't just about relationships and romantic things…It was about our lives and the things that influence our lives. I imagine -- I'm trying not to say anything -- Michael Patrick would want to put in someone being affected by the recession."
Indeed, the recession angle has been the subject of unconfirmed rumors for months. Even Sarah Jessica Parker has stated that the SATC movie sequel will be mindful of the current economic climate. In an interview with Access Hollywood, Parker said,
“There is a lot that we have to think about because times are very different. So these are nice challenges, these are good challenges... How do we do that well? And how do we do that in a not lazy way? How do we address these economic times in a franchise that has a lot to do with luxury and labels?"
Sex and the City (SATC) Movie Sequel – Spoilers:
Sifting through the plethora of SATC movie spoiler reports online, a few supposed “leaks” come up again and again. The most frequently mentioned is that Mr. Big will lose his millions as a result of the economic downturn and will subsequently have to relocate to London where he lives under far more modest circumstances. Once there, he cheats on Carrie but then confesses everything to her, prompting her to head to London to confront him in-person. It is at that point that Carrie finds out that she is in fact pregnant.
Also on the recession front, rumors abound that Samantha will fall upon hard times and lose her investments. The fashion-forward diva then finds herself struggling to maintain her fashionista image while living within a tight budget.
Sex and the City (SATC) Movie Sequel – Questions Raised:
If there’s any truth to these spoilers, then they raise some interesting questions about the SATC movie sequel:
To what extent would the recession plotline impact the fashion that we will see onscreen? After all, Carrie and company already have closets full of luxury designer clothing and designer shoes, not to mention the designer handbags and designer jewelry, so it’s not like any of them would have to start wearing Wal-Mart finds exclusively. Longtime viewers of the HBO Sex and the City series will also recall that the show wasn't dominated by high-end designer labels at the outset. It seemed as though Carrie Bradshaw achieved her unique look by mixing vintage and thrift store finds with whatever high-end fashion items she could swing. As the show evolved, so too did the wardrobes, arguably rendering the luxury fashion designer labels and over-the-top looks almost as important as the characters themselves.
So, what a great opportunity to showcase Carrie’s trademark creativity at a new level. After all, who better to represent the frugal SATC fashionista by mixing eclectic vintage pieces with the designer labels that she currently owns?
Other questions of the SATC movie sequel that spring to mind are:
If the Sex and the City movie sequel is split between the two fashion capitals will we see a marked contrast between London and New York fashion and style?
If Carrie does in fact have a baby, can we expect to see a “make-under” as she has less time to devote to herself? We already know from the first SATC movie that SJP had no problem appearing without make-up on-screen (and she still looked beautiful!), so will fashion take a backseat to the pressures of first-time motherhood?
How would a financial crisis affect Mr Big or Samantha beyond simple dollars and cents? Would it affect their self-esteem? Relationships? How much of their self-image has been tied to material things and will they now become more introspective as a result?
One thing is for sure: with Patricia Field once again signed on for the SATC movie sequel, the fashion will never be boring. Recession or not, Patricia Field knows how to bring a whimsical aesthetic like no one else. With her penchant for mismatched pieces and larger-than-life accoutrements (Remember Carrie’s deadpan admission, “I wore a bird on my head,” in the wedding fiasco aftermath?), Field’s choices should more than quench the summer thirst of style-seeking fans.
What kinds of fashions are you hoping to see in the SATC movie sequel? Are you longing for the escapism of glamour, luxury and designer labels that we’ve come to associate with SATC, the designer clothing, the designer handbags not to mention the designer shoes and awesome designer jewelry? Or would you prefer a more realistic portrayal of the current economic climate through creative but cost-conscious style and fashion choices? In twelve months time we will all know!
