Bend It Like Beckham Plan for follow-up 20 years after hit

More than two decades after the release of Bend It Like Beckham, the writer and director Gurinder Chadha OBE has announced she is planning to revive the hugely popular story.

- Suzanne Wrack

On the eve of the final of the 2025 Euros, Chadha spoke of plans for a follow-up to the film that starred Keira Knightley, Parminder Nagra and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. What format it takes – whether it's a sequel to the feature film, series or alternative – will be decided in due course.

"What I can share with you today is my very clear wish to bring the beloved characters from Bend It Like Beckham back to you and audiences globally very, very soon," said Chadha.

"Women's football is more competitive, more exciting and more global than ever. It is an honour for me to be a small part of it."

Chadha has fielded requests for a return of the story for years but has waited for the right plot to come to her so as to not tarnish the legacy of the original film. She said: "After 23 years and being unable to come up with a storyline that was as good as the original, I have finally found a fantastic story for a Bend It Like Beckham follow-up."