'Sex and the City 3' Was Planning to Kill Off a Major Character

It turns out the SATC sequel that was never made would have included Mr. Big's death.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Noth on Location for "Sex and the City: The Movie" - September 19, 2007
(Image credit: Bobby Bank)

We already know Sex and the City 3 isn’t happening, partially because Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker reportedly have a crazy feud going on. But now we know SATC 3 would have cut out another big player early on in the movie—and it’s just depressing and sad.

Apparently, Mr. Big, played by Chris Noth throughout the TV series and first two movies, would have killed off. Even worse? It would have been a heart attack, in the shower, super early on in the film. According to E! News, journalist James A. Miller (who did an oral history of the show) made the big reveal on his podcast.

The "remainder of the movie [would have been] more about how Carrie recovers from Big's death than about the relationship between the four women," said Miller.

Honestly, this is annoying for two reasons. The series and two movies made the women’s relationship a top priority—arguably, it was the reason for the whole show. Carrie’s obsession with Big was sometimes grating, even for the other three women. Their strong connection grounded the show, and even if the movies weren’t perfect, the relationships were the reason we showed up in the first place.

Secondly, the Big-Carrie storyline has always been a key part of the series, and not giving him a proper sendoff (killing him off in the first few minutes feels rather mean, no?), isn't doing that justice. He was always made to look a little ridiculous—suddenly bailing on his wedding in the first movie (spoiler alert), only to change his mind five minutes later—but this would have been a new low. The move would have been just another way for Carrie to make Big and their relationship about herself.

Even before this news, it was clear SATC 3 wouldn’t have had the same dynamic, or maybe even the same actors. The last we heard between Cattrall and Parker, things were pretty scorched earth. Parker expressed her condolences about Cattrall’s brother’s death, and Cattrall responded back: “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."

Eep. At least we've got Sex and the City merch?



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Katherine J. Igoe
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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York TimesParentsInStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLEHarper’s BazaarSeventeenGood Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeanshow sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.