Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha is set to create a sequel more than 20 years after its release.
The hit 2002 film, which starred Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra, is credited with inspiring a generation of women to take up football.
And as England’s Lionesses are preparing to face world champions Spain in Sunday’s Euro 2025 final, Gurinder teased the revival in Basel on Saturday.
Gurinder, who has also directed Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, is aiming for 2027 for the next instalment, to mark both the film’s 25th anniversary and the Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
She told the BBC: ‘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’.
The director revealed that she has been asked almost twice a week since the original film was released to come up with a sequel but has yet to decided whether it will be another film or TV series.
Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha is set to create a sequel more than 20 years after its release
The hit 2002 film, which starred Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra, is credited with inspiring a generation of women to take up football
She said: ‘A lot has changed since the original movie, but I think that people still don’t think that women should play football.
‘There are people who still don’t take it seriously, although the Lionesses are riding high. I’ve left it a while, but I thought: look at the Euros, look at the Lionesses.’
Gurinder added that she hopes to reunite the original cast and that members of the current England squad would be ‘queuing up’ to take on cameo roles.
Bend It Like Beckham was a surprise hit at the box office, grossing almost £60m on a budget of £3.5m.
The movie followed Jess Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) who dreams of playing professional football, but her Sikh parents have plans for her – a law degree and a marriage.
Jules, (Keira Knightley) a white female striker, spots Jess playing football and invites her to join the local women’s team.
Gurinder had not expected the movie to be a hit but instead hoped it would ‘uplift girls who were always being told how to dress and what to say’.
She added: ‘What I did was say you can do what you want, and you can have it all, and I think that’s a really great message to put out again. I think there’s still stuff to say, and stuff to challenge.’
Gurinder, who has also directed Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, is aiming for 2027 for the next instalment, to mark both the film’s 25th anniversary and the Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil
The director revealed that she has been asked almost twice a week since the original film was released to come up with a sequel but has yet to decided whether it will be another film or TV series
Previously Knightley revealed she was ‘mocked’ for taking on the role in Bend It Like Beckham.
The actress was just 18 when the film was released in the United States, earning £60 million worldwide from just a £3.5 million budget.
The role was quite the breakthrough for Knightley, who started acting when she was just six years old, though she revealed on The Tonight Show in 2023 that she was ‘mocked’ for the role.
While addressing her early career, Jimmy Fallon mentioned it was just the 20th anniversary of Bend it Like Beckham, though the actress reveals her friends were not impressed with the role.
When asked if she knew that the film would be her breakout, Knightley said that was never a thought.
‘No. No no, I mean, I literally remember telling people that I was doing it, and saying, you know, “It’s called ‘bend it like Beckham,’ and them going, “Oh, that’s really embarrassing,”‘ Knightley said.
She said: ‘A lot has changed since the original movie, but I think that people still don’t think that women should play football. There are people who still don’t take it seriously, although the Lionesses are riding high’
Gurinder added that she hopes to reunite the original cast and that members of the current England squad would be ‘queuing up’ to take on cameo roles; pictured England footballer Chloe Kelly
‘Yeah, yeah no, they were all like, “Don’t worry. Nobody will see it it’s fine.” But it was the idea of it, because you know women’s soccer was not as big back then,’ Knightley explained.
‘The idea of the whole thing was sort of ridiculous and it’s amazing, because it’s still the film, even today, you know, if somebody comes up and talks to me about my work, it’s that one. It’s so loved, it’s amazing,’ Knightley admitted.
Bend it Like Beckham followed two girls trying to pursue a career in soccer despite the wishes of their parents.
The film lead to roles in Pirates of the Caribbean and Love Actually, which also both hit theaters in 2003 and effectively launched her career after her Bend it Like Beckham breakthrough.
