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

More than two decades after its release, "Bend It Like Beckham" is set to make a return. Director Gurinder Chadha confirmed to the BBC that a sequel is officially in development.

Speaking from Basel on Saturday—where England's Lionesses are gearing up to face Spain in the Euro 2025 final—Chadha said the time felt right to revisit the iconic story. 

"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 explained.

The follow-up is being planned for 2027 to coincide with the film's 25th anniversary and the FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.

Though the format is still undecided, Chadha revealed the sequel could be either a feature film or a television series. She added that requests for a sequel have been near-constant since the original premiered in 2002.

"A lot has changed since the original movie, but I think people still don't think that women should play football," Chadha said. "There are people who still don't take it seriously, although the Lionesses are riding high."

She also hopes to reunite the original cast—including Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra—and hinted that current England players might make cameo appearances. "I imagine they'll be queuing up," she said with a smile.

"Bend It Like Beckham", made on a modest £3.5 million budget, became an unexpected box office sensation, grossing nearly £60 million worldwide. The film follows a British-Indian teenager who defies family expectations to pursue her love of football.

Chadha recalled that her goal with the original film was to uplift young girls navigating similar cultural pressures. "What I did was say you can do what you want, and you can have it all," she said. "I think that's a really great message to put out again. There's still stuff to say, and stuff to challenge."

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