And just like that M-Net snags the Sex and the City sequel And Just Like That as well as the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.

by Thinus Ferreira

Similar to Sky in the United Kingdom M-Net (DStv 101) has now acquired from WarnerMedia's HBO Max both the Sex and the City sequel series, And Just Like That, that will start in December; as well as the Game of Thrones prequel spinoff series, House of the Dragon that will be broadcast in 2022.

There is no word yet on whether M-Net will be picking up the Harry Potter 20 year cast reunion special, Return to Hogwarts - also an HBO Max Original - similar to what Sky did, although it's extremely likely given that M-Net acquired the Friends reunion earlier this year from the same American studio. 

The 10-episode And Just Like That will debut in America on HBO Max and on Sky on 9 December with M-Net (DStv 101) that will start showing it a few days later from 13 December at 20:30 with a double episode premiere.

And Just Like That episodes will be available on DStv Catch Up as an Express from the US title on Fridays from 10 December for DStv subscribers using the DStv app or a connected DStv Explora decoder.

And Just Like That will be placed on Showmax later once its run on M-Net is done. 

And Just Like That is billed as the "next chapter" for Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her New York friends, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and some new friends as they find themselves facing love, life and friendship in their 50s.

The cast also includes Sara Ramírez, Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman, Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Willie Garson, and Evan Handler.

According to sources M-Net also acquired the Game of Thrones sequel spinoff series, House of the Dragon that has no broadcast date for 2022 yet. 

Based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, the series - which is set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones - tells the story of House Targaryen, with Emma D'Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen.

The M-Net rollout will very likely follow the same broadcast procedure as Sky with House of the Dragon that will be an Express from the US title for M-Net and be available on DStv Catch Up with the series that will move to MultiChoice's Showmax later as a second pay-window.

A magical return

Meanwhile, WarnerMedia is working on Return to Hogwarts that reunites the Harry Potter cast - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint - 20 years after the first film was screened.

Sky has already picked up Return to Hogwarts that is set for a 1 January 2022 release date on HBO Max but with M-Net that hasn't yet made any announcement about having secured it. M-Net didn't respond with an answer to a media query made last week about it.

While author J.K. Rowling won't be joining the stars in the surprise-filled special, the American filmmaker Chris Columbus will be part of it as well to discuss the films and to explore their creation in depth.

"Fans will be invited on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time", HBO Max says, with the cast returning "to where the magic started".

 The Return to Hogwarts special will also include Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton and Tom Felton.

Casey Patterson, executive producer, says "There's magic in the air with this incredible cast, as they all return home to the original sets of Hogwarts, where they began 20 years ago. The excitement is palpable as they prepare to take their fans on a very special and personal journey, through the making of these incredible films".

ALSO READ: And just like that, Sex and the City returns to TV with Sarah Jessica Parker for 10-episode limited series on HBO Max.

ALSO READ: After Sky in Britain acquires HBO's House of the Dragon there is still silence from Africa's M-Net.

ALSO READ: M-Net hasn't acquired HBO's Game of Thrones spinoff series House of the Dragon.

ALSO READ: WarnerMedia shows the first teaser footage of its Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon coming to HBO Max in 2022.

ALSO READ: The Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon starts production and principal filming with the first (socially-distanced) table read.

ALSO READ: HBO scraps one of the Game of Thrones prequel pilots but gives the prequel series House of the Dragon a straight-to-series order. 

And just like that, Sex and the City returns to TV with Sarah Jessica Parker for 10-episode limited series on HBO Max.

by Thinus Ferreira

Sarah Jessica Parker on Sunday night confirmed on Instagram on social media that a limited series of 10-episodes of Sex and the City has been ordered by the HBO Max video streaming service, reviving the iconic series.

And Just Like That ... will see Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon revive their iconic characters and will "follow Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s" in 10, half-hour episodes that will start production in New York around May.

Kristin Davis who played Charlotte York and Cynthia Nixon who played Miranda Hobbes joined SJP on social media with posts.

Notably absent was Kim Cattrall who over the past few years has distanced herself from Sex and the City where she played Samantha Jones and who have been openly fighting with Sarah Jessica Parker for a few years.

Sex and the City was created by Darren Star, based on Candace Bushnell’s book. 

The Sex and the City executive producer Michael Patrick King will again be showrunner and executive producer of And Just Like That... with the three women who will all also get an executive producer credit.

"I couldn’t help but wonder… where are they now?," Sarah Jessica Parker wrote on Instagram, noting that And Just Like That... will follow "the next chapter" in the women's lives.

"I grew up with these characters, and I can’t wait to see how their story has evolved in this new chapter, with the honesty, poignancy, humour and the beloved city that has always defined them," says Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max's head of original content.

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Catfight in the City: Kim Cattrall slams 'cruel hypocrite' Sarah Jessica Parker: 'You are not my friend'.

There's sadness in the city: Kim Cattrall is openly slamming her former Sex and the City co-star Sarah Jessica Parker, telling her "You are not my friend".

Kim Cattrall who's had a simmering conflict with Sarah Jessica Parker the past few years, lashed out at her former friend on social media on Saturday, saying "I don’t need your love and support at this tragic time".

It comes days after Kim Cattrall's 55-year old brother Chris had been found dead after he went missing in Canada.

After the news of the death of Kim's brother, Sarah Jessica Parker on social media wrote "Dearest Kim, my love and condolences to you and yours and Godspeed to your beloved brother. Xx.".

In her post on Instagram, Kim Catrall lashed out at Sarah, saying "My Mom asked me today “When will that Sarah Jessica Parker, that hypocrite, leave you alone?” Your continuous reaching out is a painful reminder of how cruel you really were then and now. Let me make this VERY clear. (If I haven’t already) You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I’m writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your ‘nice girl’ persona."

The past few months cracks became publicly visible in the relationship between Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker who at first subtly, and then openly, started to vent in interviews about each other.

It started after plans for a 3rd Sex and the City movie were scrapped. According to insider sources Kim Cattrall had made big demands - something that she denied, while Sarah Jessica Parker alluded that it's Kim's fault that a planned new film got derailed.