Movies

LONDON — Sarah Jessica Parker often referred to New York as the fifth lady in the show Sex and the City, which chronicled the lives of four 30-something fun-loving friends.

But the hit HBO TV series stands accused of being unfaithful to the city in which it was set. The much-anticipated movie version of the show is set to premiere not in New York, but in London.

The film's stars — Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon — are all expected to attend the London world premiere on May 12 at the Odeon Leicester Square Cinema.

The film's next premiere will be held in Berlin on May 15.

The movie's not expected to premiere in New York until May 27, before opening at theaters across the United States on May 30.

Tracy Lorie, vice president for international communications at New Line Cinema, confirmed the dates but would not say why the movie will first premiere in London.

"That's just the way the dates fall," she said.

According to London's Telegraph newspaper, New Line is hoping to maximize the show's global appeal with a London premiere.

But New Yorkers see the choice as a huge snub.

"I definitely think it should be a New York premiere," said Natasha Malinsky, 27, a part-time guide for the Sex and the City Hotspots tour in Manhattan and a big fan of the show.

"It has really nothing to do with London, and I'm very upset that they would do that," she said. "The whole show is about New York. They filmed here for six years. To be in London doesn't make a lot of sense."

Neil Sean, a popular TV and radio entertainment reporter in London, said the show is wildly popular in Europe, so it's not surprising the movie would premiere in London.

"The biggest sales on DVDs come from England and Europe, and the highest ratings came from England," he said. "We stuck with it much longer than people did in America. You guys liked it for two seasons or whatever, but we stayed with it much longer. We can't get enough of it."

Sean said the entire cast is staying at London's Dorchester Hotel for the premiere, except for Cattrall, who is staying with friends.

Sean said reruns of the series on Paramount's channel in London get the same kind of ratings as the show in its initial run.

Even so, the series, which ran for six seasons between 1998 and 2004, was very much a tribute to New York. While other series set in New York, such as Seinfeld, were actually shot mostly in Los Angeles, romantic Manhattan backdrops were from the beginning an integral part of Sex and the City.

No one yet knows the plot of the reunion movie, although some have speculated that Parker's character, Carrie Bradshaw, may finally tie the knot with her on-again, off-again boyfriend "Mr. Big," played again by Chris Noth.

Apparently the movie doesn't pick up right where the TV show ended either, but rather starts four years later, meaning the four leading ladies have undoubtedly moved on with their lives.

Cox New York correspondent David Ho contributed to this article.