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What upset ‘Sex & the City’ producer Michael Patrick King about Kim Cattrall’s return to the reboot

Kim Cattrall attends Peacock's "Queer As Folk" world premiere event, on June 3, 2022, in Los Angeles. The actress is set to reprise her role as Samantha Jones for the "Sex and the City" reboot, "And Just Like That" this summer.  (Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America/TNS)
By Karu F. Daniels New York Daily News

While die-hard “Sex and the City” fans rejoice at the news of Kim Cattrall’s return to the show’s universe, the creator and producer of “And Just Like That” feels differently.

Showrunner Michael Patrick King said he’s “a little bit upset” that the cat is out of the bag about the beloved Samantha Jones making a cameo in the spinoff’s new season, which premieres Thursday on Max.

“I really wanted you to be sitting there watching the show, see Carrie ( Sarah Jessica Parker) look at her phone and all of a sudden seeing Samantha,” King told ET. “But there’s a secret. You don’t know why she’s there and what’s going to happen.”

King, who shepherded the original HBO series into a cultural touchstone when it launched in 1998, said it was always his idea to keep Cattrall’s character a part of the extended universe. While the sexually freewheeling publicist was unseen during the first season of the new series, she communicated via text message.

“Carrie in the first season texted her and there was a connection because I wanted to keep Samantha alive,” King shared.

Then, on May 31, news broke of Cattrall’s return, with reports that viewers will see Samantha have a phone conversation with Carrie.

Cattrall infamously swore off reprising her role after blasting the sitcom’s leading lady and producer, Sarah Jessica Parker.

“Even to the point where Kim was finished playing her for a while, I wanted to keep Samantha alive because she’s a big part of the ‘Sex and the City’ brand,” King explained. “So here it is, the 25th anniversary, and I guess magic happened. Some showbiz emotional fan magic happened where all of a sudden Kim is like, ‘All right, let’s show up for this special treat.’ And it was fun. I mean, it was always fun to write Samantha, and it was great to have the chance to take her from text to face.”

Cattrall’s “And Just Like That” cameo will reportedly air during an August episode. The series returns Thursday on the newly renamed Max streaming platform.