A ‘Sex and the City’ prequel ... as a TV show

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

EXCLUSIVE: When the Daily Mail reported last week that a “Sex and the City” prequel was brewing, it both piqued interest and raised eyebrows. The young and separate lives of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte could not only be explored, the paper said, but they could be explored with a bevy of young comers, including Blake Lively, Selena Gomez and Emma Roberts, who would all star in a new movie.

According to a person familiar with plans for the property, the tabloid was half right: Something is being considered. It’s just not a movie -- it’s a television show.

HBO, which developed, financed and aired the hit series in the late ‘90’s and early ‘00s, is the entity contemplating a new go-round, the source said--not New Line, the Warner Bros. studio division that produced and released the two theatrical films.

But the series wouldn’t necessarily wind up being aired on HBO; it could instead end up on another network. (The company has historically produced select series and sold them elsewhere.)

The new series would be based on two recent Candace Bushnell books, “The Carrie Diaries” and “Summer in the City.” It wouldn’t be a prequel per se, but rather a story of Carrie Bradshaw in high school, said a source familiar with the discussions. Neither a New Line nor an HBO spokesperson could be reached for comment.

HBO is planning to explore the lives of young women in other ways. On the network’s upcoming schedule is “Girls,” a half-hour drama with comedic elements about twentysomething women in New York (that series comes from director-producer Judd Apatow and “Tiny Funiture” filmmaker Lena Dunham).

Any new “SATC”-related property would come up against skepticism from some of those involved with the original. Earlier this week, Bridget Moynahan, who had a recurring role as Mr. Big’s wife Natasha on the HBO series, told Show Tracker she’s confounded by the prequel talk.

“I think they should leave ‘Sex and the City’ alone,” she said in an interview. “If you want to do something with Blake Lively and Emma Roberts and all these wonderful young actresses, then just come up with your own material and leave ‘Sex and the City’ as it is.”

The comments follow Michael Patrick King’s remarks at the Television Critics Assn. press tour. King, the executive producer of the series, said he’s not involved with any prequel and had tough words for a new iteration. “The idea of going backwards and making [Carrie] less evolved ... is something that I don’t even imagine doing,” he said.

Earlier in the year, Sarah Jessica Parker didn’t spark to the prospect of a new “SATC” effort, telling our sister blog 24 Frames that she didn’t think the idea worked creatively. “I don’t think we can pretend to go back,” she said. “It’s creating two histories. It’s like, ‘Oh I didn’t know that about Carrie Bradshaw.”

Still yet to weigh in on his feelings -- or potential involvement -- is Darren Star, who of course created the original.

A youthful reboot would fit with a Hollywood vogue: Sony, in fact, is doing just that with “The Amazing Spider-Man” next summer.

RELATED:

‘Sex and the City 2’ star accepts Razzie Award -- belatedly

Sarah Jessica Parker: I like Sex and the City 3, but not as a prequel

‘2 Broke Girls’ isn’t ‘Sex and the City’ redux, says Michael Patrick King

-- Steven Zeitchik
twitter.com/ZeitchikLAT