London (PTI): After a decade-long affair with New York, the popular television series 'Sex and the City' has ditched the American mega metropolis in which it's set -- just for a one-night stand with the British capital.

The hugely awaited new movie version of the show, which won seven Emmy Awards, is to premiere not in New York but in London.

The film's makers, New Line Cinema, have scheduled the world's first screening for London's Leicester Square Odeon on May 12 more than a fortnight ahead of a follow-up premiere in New York on May 27, 'The Sunday Telegraph' reported.

The film's leading actresses -- Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon -- will all attend the London event.

New Line Cinema insist the scheduling is simply to maximise the massive global appeal of SATC, which started life as an HBO television series inspired by New York Observer columnist Candace Bushnell.

"We have day and date releases internationally so we simply cannot do all the premieres at the same time. It is impossible to be everywhere at once so we had to make some choices. London is just the first premiere, not a world premiere. But New York is the big one," the Vice-President at at New Line, Tracy Lorie, said.