An exciting movie sequel is afoot, it has been confirmed.
Released in 2002, Bend It Like Beckham starred Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra and is credited with inspiring a generation of girls to take up football.
Its plot follows Jesminder Bhamra (Nagra), who dreams of a career in professional footie. However, her Sikh parents want her to study for a law degree and get married.
She meets Jules Paxton (Knightley), a white female striker who invites Jess to join the local women’s team.
The sports comedy-drama—named after Sir David’s iconic curling free kick technique—has certainly stood the test of time and retained its fanbase in the years since, having even been adapted into a stage musical in 2015.
And now, its director, Gurinder Chadha, has announced that a second instalment is in the works.
The timing of the announcement couldn’t be more fitting, since the Lionesses are due to take on Spain in the Euro 2025 final on Sunday.
Chadha also hopes to schedule the sequel’s release for 2027, not only to coincide with the original movie’s 20th anniversary but with the Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil too.
And while nothing is set in stone and meetings are yet to be had, the filmmaker is hopeful that the original cast will reprise their roles.
‘We’ve been part of changing the game for women, so it felt like this was a good time for me to go back and investigate the characters,’ she told BBC.
The London-based director added to Deadline: ‘I’m excited to revisit the original characters and revive the enduring story and build on the legacy we helped to create for the women’s game.’
She confirmed that Nagra, Knightley, Archie Punjabi, Juliet Stevenson, and other cast members ‘are aware that a sequel is being developed, but they obviously want to see a script before they commit’.
‘I’m pretty certain that everyone’s going to want to come back,’ she said with optimism.
‘Everything hinges on the script, and if the original cast likes it.
‘I am working really hard to make sure every character I bring back has a decent arc and scenes.’
As for why it’s taken over two decades for the ball to start rolling for a sequel (pun fully intended), Chadha ‘didn’t want’ to touch the idea because she ‘didn’t have a story’.
Teasing what fans can expect from the currently nameless sequel, she continued: ‘And then I came up with a great story, really super-cool story. So now I’m inspired. Literally came up with it just about a month ago.’
She’s keen to get the cast back ‘very, very soon’, declaring proudly: ‘Women’s football is more competitive, more exciting, and more global than ever. It is an honour for me to be a small part of it.’
A Bend It Like Beckham sequel would undoubtedly be huge for cinema, what with the original grossing $76.7million (£57m) against its $5.6m (£4.2m) budget.
The film has also become adored by many communities of cinema fans over time, thanks to its exploration of women in sport and the expectations of South Asian women in society.
What’s more, while not explicitly queer, its storylines deeply resonated with LGBTQ+ viewers, leading to the film being adopted as a lesbian cult classic.
Its upcoming sequel even has the backing of Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who will attend the Euros final with Chadha this weekend.
‘Bend It Like Beckham captured something so special about Britain, our spirit, our diversity, and our ability to dream big in the face of challenge,’ she said. ‘Gurinder Chadha gave us a story that resonated far beyond the screen and became part of our cultural DNA.’
Nandy added: ‘The announcement of a follow-up is a brilliant moment for British film. It builds on a legacy that continues to inspire and shows the world what British storytelling can do. Productions like this help tell our national story, remind us who we are, and who we can be.’
Chadha is hoping her husband, Paul Mayeda Berges, will also be back on board to help pen the screenplay, as he did the first, to reignite the magic.
‘I’m hoping to write it with Paul, who has come up with some very funny lines like he did last time.’
One thing’s for sure, and it’s that, in the era of Freakier Friday and Happy Gilmore 2, the news is being eaten up by nostalgia hungry social media users, with plenty branding the announcement exactly ‘what we need’.
‘one of the greatest movies ever. bring back the original cast’, wrote @rasalistair on X.
‘MY CHILDHOOD! LETS GO!’, added @AnthonyDaytv.
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