Bend It Like Beckham Follow-up In Pipeline More Than 20 Years After Original Film Was Released

More than 2 decades aft nan merchandise of Bend It Like Beckham, writer and head Gurinder Chadha OBE has announced she is readying to revive nan hugely celebrated story.

On nan eve of nan last of nan 2025 Euros, wherever nan Lionesses will effort to take sides their crown against Spain successful Basel connected Sunday, Chadha has spoken of plans for a travel up to nan movie that starred Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. What format it takes, whether a sequel to nan characteristic film, bid aliases alternative, will beryllium decided successful owed course.

“I americium truthful happy to beryllium present successful Basel for nan Euros, nan ambiance is amazing,” said Chadha. “What I tin stock pinch you coming is my very clear wish to bring nan beloved characters from Bend It Like Beckham backmost to you and audiences globally very, very soon. Women’s shot is much competitive, much exciting, and much world than ever. It is an grant for maine to beryllium a mini portion of it.”

Chadha, who has fielded requests for a return of nan communicative for years but has waited for nan correct crippled to travel to her truthful arsenic to not tarnish nan bequest of nan original, added: “After 23 years and being incapable to travel up pinch a storyline that was arsenic bully arsenic nan original, I person yet recovered a awesome communicative for a Bend It Like Beckham travel up.”

Released successful 2002, Bend It Like Beckham showed shot obsessed Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra equilibrium joining nan Hounslow Harriers and uncovering herself connected nan transportation while grappling pinch family, taste and societal expectations of what a Punjabi British woman should be. It was a immense container agency deed and is nan only movie distributed successful each state successful nan world, including North Korea.

“The original film, for me, was astir lifting up girls and saying you tin do and beryllium thing you want, moreover though nine dictates what you tin and can’t do,” said Chadha, who has besides confirmed US women’s nationalist squad manager, Emma Hayes, is collaborating connected nan caller project. “That connection is still applicable today. Even though women’s shot rides truthful precocious astir nan world, and that’s astonishing and it’s awesome that nan original movie has been portion of that legacy, I consciousness location is much that I tin do and truthful that’s what I’m writing. It will beryllium difficult hitting, of course, but it will besides beryllium incredibly joyous, really tin it not beryllium arsenic a travel up to Bend It Like Beckham?”

Emma Hayes will enactment arsenic a collaborator connected nan caller film. Photograph: Daniel Cole/AP

“I’m ace excited to person connected pinch Emma who, erstwhile I first met her, said: ‘On my god, I was Keira Knightley, that was me!’ I cognize each nan astonishing activity that she is doing some successful beforehand and down nan scenes for women’s football, truthful person brought her connected committee arsenic a collaborator arsenic I constitute nan book which I’m moving connected correct now.”

Hayes, who won 7 convention titles, 2 League Cups and 5 FA Cups pinch Chelsea earlier moving into world football, winning Olympic golden 2 months aft taking up her post, said: “I met Gurinder astatine a chance gathering successful Cannes successful June. It felt for illustration nan stars aligned for america to meet. I told her nan monolithic effect nan movie had had connected maine erstwhile I was younger and that I was Keira Knightley successful Bend it Like Beckham. I cried successful nan cinema watching nan movie because I felt conscionable for illustration Jess and Jules.”

Hayes moved to nan US early connected successful her profession successful hunt of greater opportunities and professionalism successful nan women’s crippled and it played a pivotal domiciled successful her development. “There was nary dream for women’s shot successful Britain then, truthful I was going to nan US to effort my luck there,” said Hayes. “I could ne'er person dreamed of really overmuch that movie helped alteration nan women’s game. Now, I person nan champion occupation successful world shot arsenic caput coach of nan US women’s nationalist team. Like I said, nan stars aligned and now I’m helping Gurinder pinch each my acquisition and penetration successful nan game.”

Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who will beryllium attending nan Euro 2025 last pinch Chadha, described nan announcement arsenic a “brilliant infinitesimal for British film”.

“Bend It Like Beckham captured thing truthful typical astir Britain, our spirit, our diversity, and our expertise to dream large successful nan look of challenge,” she said. “Gurinder Chadha gave america a communicative that resonated acold beyond nan surface and became portion of our taste DNA.

“The announcement of a travel up is simply a superb infinitesimal for British film. It builds connected a bequest that continues to animate and shows nan world what British storytelling tin do. Productions for illustration this thief show our nationalist story, punctual america who we are, and who we tin be.”