A sequel to Gurinder Chadha’s 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, which starred Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, is officially in the works, according to US media reports.
“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,” the London-based director has told Deadline.
Chadha added that Nagra, Knightley, Archie Panjabi, Juliet Stevenson and other members of the original cast “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 added.
The filmmaker was in Basel, Switzerland, ahead of the Women’s European Championship final where England women’s soccer team is set to face Spain, according to Deadline.
The report further mentions that Chadha has been toying around with the prospect of a follow-up feature or television drama for two years, encouraged by the phenomenal increase in worldwide support for women’s football.
Chadha is aiming to have the sequel ready by 2027 to mark the 25th anniversary of Bend it Like Beckham’s 2002 UK opening. It’s a key year for the game, too, as the FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament is set to kick off in Brazil on June 24 that year.
The original film was based on a screenplay Chadha co-wrote with Guljit Bindra and her husband Paul Mayeda Berges.
In Bend It Like Beckham, Nagra plays Jasminder, an Indian teenager who looks up to football sensation David Beckham, who was a player with Manchester United and the England men’s team back then. Determined to play football against the wishes of her parents, Jasminder befriends Knightley’s Jules, who also shares the same passion for the sport.