The director of football movie Bend It Like Beckham has revealed plans for a sequel, with Emma Hayes collaborating on the project.
It has been more than two decades since the original movie featuring Keira Knightley was released.
Women’s football has grown significantly since the release of the movie, with England’s Lionesses achieving massive success on the international stage.
The Lionesses have won back-to-back Women’s Euros and also reached the final of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
UK betting sites have already priced the Lionesses as 3/1 second-favourites to win the Euros for the third time in a row in 2029.
Domestic football has also grown tremendously, with growing attendances and viewing figures in the Women’s Super League.
Amid the growth of the women’s game, Bend it Like Beckham’s writer and director, Gurinder Chadha, revealed sequel plans to entertainment news website Deadline.
She said: “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 adds that Knightley, Parminder Nagri, and other members of the original cast are ‘aware’ of the plans, but want to see a script before they commit to the project.
Director confirms Emma Hayes’ involvement in Bend It Like Beckham sequel
Gurinder Chadha has revealed that US women’s head coach Emma Hayes is collaborating with her on a Bend it Like Beckham sequel.
The pair met earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival. Since then, they have spoken a few times and are working ‘collaboratively’ on the sequel.
Chadra said: “Her insights into the world of football at her level are invaluable.”
In a separate interview with the Guardian, she said: “I know all the amazing work that she is doing both in front and behind the scenes for women’s football, so have brought her on board as a collaborator as I write the script which I’m working on right now.”
The Bend it Like Beckham director was in Basel ahead of the Women’s Euro 2025 final on Sunday.
Hayes was also in Switzerland working as a TV pundit throughout the Women’s Euros.
A sequel to ‘BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM’ is in the works.
(Source: Deadline) pic.twitter.com/MkEbOoglr6
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 26, 2025
What Emma Hayes said about Bend it Like Beckham
Emma Hayes said that the original Bend It Like Beckham movie had a “massive impact on her life” and said she felt like the movie’s characters.
As per Deadline, she said: “I was Keira Knightley in Bend it. I cried in the cinema watching the film because I felt just like Jess and Jules.
”There was no hope for women’s football in Britain then so I was going to the States to try my luck.
“23 years ago, I could never have dreamed of how much that film changed the women’s game and now I have the best job in the world – head coach of the U.S. Women’s national team.”
Hayes added that she will help Gurinder Chadha with her experience and insight of the women’s game.
What is Bend it Like Beckham about?
Bend It Like Beckham is a British comedy-drama about a British-Indian girl, Jess Bhamra (played by Parminder Nagra), living in London with a love for football and David Beckham – then a player with Manchester United and England captain.
Despite her family’s disapproval, she secretly joins a local women’s football team, where she played for the fictional Hounslow Harriers alongside her friend Jules – played by Keira Knightley.
The movie explores Bhamra trying to balance her cultural heritage with her love of women’s football.
How long ago did Bend It Like Beckham come out?
Bend it Like Beckham was released in cinemas on April 12th, 2002 – over 23 years ago.
The movie was a massive box office success grossing $76.6 million (£57.6m).
In 2015, it was adapted into a musical at the Phoenix Theatre in the West End.
