‘Bend It Like Beckham’ sequel in development, confirms director Gurinder Chadha

Director Gurinder Chadha has revealed that a sequel to her celebrated 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, which starred Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, is officially in the works.

While confirming the development of the sequel, the director told 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.”

Chadha added that Nagra, Knightley, Archie Punjabi, 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."

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"I'm pretty certain that everyone's going to want to come back. 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," said Chaddha, as quoted by Deadline.

The filmmaker was in Basel, Switzerland, ahead of the Women's European Championship final, where the England women's soccer team faced Spain, a repeat of their 2023 World Cup clash.

"I didn't want to do anything because I didn't have a story. 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. It's my very clear wish to bring the characters back very, very soon. Women's football is more competitive, more exciting, and more global than ever.It is an honor for me to be a small part of it," she said.

Stating that she is expecting to keep the sequel ready by 2027 to mark the 25th anniversary of Bend it Like Beckham’s 2002 UK opening, the filmmaker revealed that she has begun discussing the screenwriting process with Berges. "I'm hoping to write it with Paul, who has come up with some very funny lines like he did last time," said Chadha.

The original film was based on a screenplay she co-wrote with Guljit Bindra and her husband, Paul Mayeda Berges.