Sex and the City 2

Sex and the City 2

Company type	Film
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	May 27, 2010 (2010-05-27)
Founder	Michael Patrick King
Products	Romantic comedy film

Sex and the City 2 is a 2010 American romantic comedy film that was written, co-produced, and directed by Michael Patrick King. Serving as a sequel to the 2008 movie Sex and the City, it is adapted from the HBO television series of the same name. The principal cast includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon, with Chris Noth reprising his role as Mr. Big. The film also features cameo appearances by notable figures such as Liza Minnelli, Miley Cyrus, Tim Gunn, and Penélope Cruz.

The movie was released on May 27, 2010, in the United States and on May 28 in the United Kingdom. It encountered significant critical disapproval concerning its storyline, duration, character arcs, and its contentious depiction of Middle Eastern culture. Nevertheless, it attained commercial success, generating $294.7 million globally against a production budget of $95 million.

In 2021, a successor television series titled And Just Like That... debuted on HBO Max.

Plot

Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda come together again to celebrate the wedding of Stanford and Anthony. Among them, three are married; Samantha, who is 52 years old, remains single while navigating menopause alongside an active libido.

In New York City, Miranda leaves her law firm due to disrespect from the newly appointed managing partner. Charlotte, who stays at home with her daughters Lily and Rose, becomes concerned that her husband Harry might be attracted to their young Irish nanny, Erin. Meanwhile, Carrie and Mr. Big experience differing preferences in their marriage—Carrie enjoys social outings while Big prefers quiet nights at home.

For their anniversary, Carrie presents Big with a vintage engraved Rolex watch; in response, he installs a television in their bedroom to watch classic films together, which Carrie finds somewhat impersonal. Feeling undervalued, she temporarily returns to her old apartment to focus on writing. Afterward, Big proposes that she spend two days a week there so he can relax more fully at home, hoping this will improve their relationship time. Carrie agrees but worries about growing apart.

Samantha is commissioned to create a public relations campaign for a wealthy Arab sheikh who invites her and her friends on an all-inclusive luxury vacation to Abu Dhabi. With Miranda currently unemployed, she eagerly joins the trip.

Upon arrival, Samantha's hormone treatments are confiscated due to local regulations, negatively impacting her libido. Charlotte struggles with separation from her children and frequently contacts home. Miranda embraces the local culture enthusiastically, while Carrie befriends Gaurau, an underpaid Indian hotel butler who warns her about men exploiting tourists.

During a visit to a local souq, Carrie unexpectedly encounters her former fiancé Aidan; they reconnect over dinner and share a kiss. Troubled by this encounter, Carrie confesses to Big despite Samantha’s suggestion to delay telling him. Big responds coldly and abruptly ends their conversation.

The group’s Western behaviors clash with regional customs—Samantha openly flirts with a Danish architect and is arrested; though the sheikh intervenes on their behalf, they are asked to depart early to prevent scandal.

Back in New York, Carrie discovers the bedroom television has been removed and Big is absent. He returns bearing a black diamond engagement ring symbolizing her uniqueness. They reconcile and agree to accommodate each other's individual needs within their marriage.

Charlotte discovers that Erin is lesbian, alleviating her marital concerns. Miranda accepts a role at a more inclusive law firm. Samantha stays true to herself and reunites with the Danish architect in The Hamptons.

Development

In February 2009, the ensemble confirmed that a follow-up to Sex and the City was underway, with filming scheduled to commence in August 2009.

Writer-director Michael Patrick King envisioned the sequel as having a wider narrative scope and featuring more international settings, motivated by positive global audience reactions and a wish to provide escapism amid the worldwide economic downturn. He drew creative influence from 1930s escapist comedies. Although Abu Dhabi was initially selected for its fashion prestige and financial stability, permission to film there was ultimately denied.

All four principal actresses—Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, and Kim Cattrall—returned, along with Chris Noth reprising his role as Mr. Big. Returning supporting actors from both the television series and the original movie included Evan Handler, David Eigenberg, John Corbett, Willie Garson, and Mario Cantone. King continued his dual responsibilities as writer and director, while Patricia Field resumed costume design duties, incorporating hats by Prudence Millinery for Vivienne Westwood.

The production budget was reported at $95 million, exceeding the first film’s budget by $30 million. Sarah Jessica Parker received $15 million plus backend profits for her combined roles as lead actress and producer.

Filming

Due to permit refusals by Emirati officials, shooting in New York City was postponed until late July 2009, resulting in the Abu Dhabi scenes being relocated to Morocco. Principal photography officially started on September 1, 2009, and continued through the end of the year.

Scenes filmed in Morocco included the coastal town of Sidi Kaouki. While originally planned for 13 days, filming there extended close to six weeks. Throughout November 2009, all four leading actresses and crew members were captured on location.

Casting

In September 2009, Liza Minnelli confirmed her participation in a cameo role. Although Bette Midler was photographed during production, her scenes were cut from the final version. Penélope Cruz appears briefly portraying Carmen, a banker. Additionally, Miley Cyrus makes a cameo appearance alongside Samantha in a red carpet scene. Set photographs were released online in October 2009.

John Corbett, reprising his character Aidan Shaw from both the series and original film, was spotted filming in Morocco, confirming his return.

Release

Marketing for Sex and the City 2 kicked off in December 2009 with the unveiling of an official teaser poster showing Carrie Bradshaw dressed in white with gold sunglasses against a Moroccan backdrop. The tagline "Carrie On" echoed the original film’s "Get Carried Away" slogan. This visual and tagline were also featured on the concurrently launched official website.

The teaser trailer debuted online on December 22, 2009. In March 2010, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis attended ShoWest 2010 in Las Vegas to showcase the full trailer and promote the movie. Kim Cattrall, engaged with a West End production in London at that time, joined promotional activities after May 3.

The complete theatrical trailer premiered on Entertainment Tonight and online on April 8, 2010. It included Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind" alongside Ricki-Lee Coulter's "Can't Touch It."

A worldwide promotional tour featuring the primary cast began in early May 2010, encompassing press events, television interviews, and international appearances. The official premiere took place in New York City on May 24, 2010.

Box office

Sex and the City 2 launched in 3,445 theaters across North America on May 27, 2010, marking one of the broadest releases for an R-rated romantic comedy. It generated $3 million from midnight showings at 2,000 venues. On its first day, the film brought in $14.2 million, forecasting a four-day total near $60 million and up to $75 million over the extended Memorial Day weekend. Ultimately, it opened in second place behind Shrek Forever After, earning $31 million over three days and $45.2 million across four days, with a five-day Memorial Day cumulative of $51 million.

Globally, the movie led box office charts in major territories including Germany (for five consecutive weeks), the United Kingdom (three weeks), and Australia (two weeks), outperforming its predecessor in Japan and Greece. In multiple markets, it sold more tickets than the original installment.

By August 19, 2010, Sex and the City 2 had accumulated $95.3 million domestically and $199.3 million internationally, reaching a worldwide total of $294.7 million. Although this was approximately 27% less than the global revenue of the first film, it stood as the top-grossing romantic comedy of that year.

Critical response

The film was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a low approval rating of 16% from 217 critiques, with an average score of 3.9/10—significantly below the first film’s 49% approval and 5.7/10 average rating. The critical consensus remarks: "Burdened by a weak storyline stretched thin over an excessive runtime, Sex and the City 2 serves as an unfortunate epilogue to the beloved HBO series." On Metacritic, it received a score of 27 out of 100 based on 39 critic reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews."

The portrayal of Middle Eastern culture sparked considerable backlash. Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter labeled it as "blatantly anti-Muslim," while Hadley Freeman from The Guardian described its trailers as "borderline racist." Andrew O'Hagan of the Evening Standard called it "the most stupid, racist, polluting and women-hating film of the year." Renowned critic Roger Ebert awarded it one star out of four, criticizing its characters as "flyweight bubbleheads," the narration as unnecessary, and visuals as "arthritic."

Lindy West from The Stranger strongly condemned the movie for its excessive length and lack of meaningful content, calling it an attack on her core values. British critic Mark Kermode declared it the worst film released in 2010, branding it "poisonous, repugnant, retrograde, depressing." Additionally, Time magazine included it among their list of "10 Worst Movies Based on TV Shows."

Accolades

At the 31st Golden Raspberry Awards, Sex and the City 2 earned seven nominations, including one for Worst Picture. It secured three wins, notably sharing the Worst Actress award among its four leading actresses—Parker, Cattrall, Nixon, and Davis. Cast member David Eigenberg expressed enthusiasm about accepting the Razzie for Worst Couple/Screen Ensemble, which was bestowed upon the entire cast. Razzie founder John J. B. Wilson highlighted Eigenberg's humorous acceptance speech posted on their official YouTube channel.

Award	Ceremony Date	Category	Nominee(s)	Outcome
National Movie Awards	26 May 2010	Vue Most Anticipated Movie of the Summer	Sex and the City 2
Houston Film Critics Society	18 December 2010	Worst Picture	Sex and the City 2
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle	22 December 2010	Obviously Worst Film	Sex and the City 2
37th People's Choice Awards	5 January 2011	Favorite Comedy Movie	Sex and the City 2
Alliance of Women Film Journalists	10 January 2011	Hall Of Shame Award	Sex and the City 2
Alliance of Women Film Journalists	10 January 2011	Sequel That Shouldn't Have Been Made Award	Sex and the City 2
Alliance of Women Film Journalists	10 January 2011	Sexist Pig Award	Michael Patrick King
31st Golden Raspberry Awards	26 February 2011	Worst Picture	Sex and the City 2
31st Golden Raspberry Awards	26 February 2011	Worst Director	Michael Patrick King
31st Golden Raspberry Awards	26 February 2011	Worst Actress	Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon
31st Golden Raspberry Awards	26 February 2011	Worst Supporting Actress	Liza Minnelli
31st Golden Raspberry Awards	26 February 2011	Worst Screenplay	Michael Patrick King
31st Golden Raspberry Awards	26 February 2011	Worst Screen Combo	'The entire cast of Sex and the City 2'
31st Golden Raspberry Awards	26 February 2011	Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel	'Sex and the City 2'

Soundtrack

Released on May 25, 2010 by WaterTower Music, Sex and the City 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features tracks both from and inspired by the movie.

The film’s original score was composed by Aaron Zigman and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony. Dennis S. Sands and Steve Kempster handled recording and mixing duties. Orchestration and conducting were managed by Stephen Coleman with additional orchestration contributed by Patrick Kirst.

Home media

In the United States, Sex and the City 2 became available on DVD, Blu-ray, and through iTunes on October 26, 2010. It debuted at number one on home media sales charts by selling nearly one million units during its initial week. The UK release followed on November 29, 2010, where it also reached top positions in sales rankings.

Follow-up television series

Main article: And Just Like That...

Although a script for a third Sex and the City movie was approved in December 2016, on September 28, 2017 Sarah Jessica Parker confirmed that production would not move forward due to disappointment among both creators and fans.

In reports surfaced in 2018 indicated that Kim Cattrall opted out because of contentious plot points involving her character. During a 2019 interview, Cattrall stated she had already "gone past the finish line" with her role.

The narrative planned for this canceled third film was adapted into HBO Max’s series And Just Like That..., which premiered on December 9, 2021. While Cattrall did not return as part of the main cast, she made a brief appearance in the finale of season two. The show was renewed for a second season in March 2022 followed by a third season announcement in August 2023.