"SEX and the City 2"writer-director dishes out on the sequel

CEBU, Philippines - Plot details have been mysteriously scarce about the eagerly-awaited sequel, “Sex and the City 2” but in the following interview, writer-director Michael Patrick King reveals some key and fun information that will have to do until Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda sashay into the big screen soon.

Question: What’s so exciting about coming back and doing another film?

Michael Patrick King: The amazing thing about this particular sequel, “Sex and the City 2,” was the journey before I even got to film. I had this idea that the movie should be a party and that we’re in a bit of a Depression financially and the girls needed to go someplace extravagant and all of the sudden Abu Dhabi popped into my mind and then I thought, ‘How funny to have these very opinionated, very single—even though they’re married—American women in the Middle East, where there is so much tradition and conservative values?’

And then, John Melfi and I were in search of a location and we wound up in Morocco. It had everything I needed and more, but the dunes were a two and a half hour plane ride away. The good news is they are the dunes where Lawrence of Arabia was filmed. And then we had amazing experiences.

We had a great time making the movie. It felt like oh, now we’re doing that type of movie and then when we went to the Middle East it was like we were doing a David Lean epic. It was a fun, big, big experience and that’s really what I wanted the audience to have: a giant, fun vacation.

Q: What are the challenges of shooting such a huge movie on the streets of New York with all the onlookers?

King: There was a scene we were filming when the “Sex and the City” tour bus went by, and you could hear the brakes go Errr. And if you come to New York and you’re walking around Fifth Avenue and stumble upon Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte really existing, it’s like the ultimate New York sighting. 

The other interesting thing about it is that people sometimes say to me, ‘Isn’t it annoying to have thousands of people?’ And I was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be worse if no one cared?’ Suppose you gave a party and nobody came. Suppose you’re filming a sequel and people are like, ‘Eh.’ It’s always an event. 

Q: How easy is it for women to relate to these characters and their lives?

King: The lives of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, to write those lives is a responsibility because each of those women is reflected somewhere in the audience. 

I think with four women characters you have a pretty wide range of choices, but you have to be very, very diligent about where you think the women might be because I think the success of it is that it has dealt with what people are dealing with in their lives. Now you’re looking at characters who are in their early 30’s and now in their 40’s, is because when we did the series every year, I would make sure that we never repeated and when you’re not repeating something, that forces you to go forward in another direction.

So, it’s about moving forward and the fun thing about writing it is that we’re not afraid of the fact that they make choices that move them in a different direction because that happens in life all the time. I have these four amazing actresses who are better every time you see them, who look amazing, so their lives change.

Q: Does it matter where you put these women, or do they always remain New Yorkers?

King: Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte are these four diehard New York characters and when they’re together it doesn’t matter if they’re in Mexico, if they’re in New York City, if they’re in the Middle East, it’s still these four characters. It’s Sex and the City and it can go anywhere because it’s the authentic four characters. Their lives go with them wherever they go. They’re always going to have a conversation. It doesn’t matter if they’re on a camel or in a coffee shop. It’s the same DNA. The fun of it is it’s just a great adventure for them and the audience.

Q: Why go see this movie?

King: I wrote this movie because I wanted it to be a big, fun, adventure. I wanted it to be a lot of laughs. I wanted it to have a point of view about the difference between tradition and non-tradition and basically it’s a big romp with these four girls. And what I’ve sort of enjoyed about seeing it now is that there’s a lot in there for guys to relate to. There’s a new chapter in this movie that really has to do with you and your wife. How about your relationship at home and looking at it a little bit. 

Q: Tell us about Sarah Jessica as a producer.

King: The first big skill of any producer, to me, is that they’re able to sense a good story and be an audience, and Sarah Jessica really is my best audience. When I tell her the story and she reads the script, she’s able to just for a second take the producer hat off and be an audience member. She is my first audience. And then the hat comes on and we figure out how we’re gonna do it and she’s very hands-on in the production aspects. 

(Opening soon across the Philippines, “Sex and the City 2” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures in association with New Line Cinema.)