In recent years, there has been a resurgence of producing film sequels to certain projects from the last few decades, mainly due to nostalgia and reminiscing about "the good old days" when it comes to movies. For instance, films released in the 1990s or early 2000s are just getting their long-awaited sequels, such as Beetlejuice, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Gladiator, Freaky Friday, and plenty more. So, it was only fair that one of the best and underrated sports films ever made gets its turn under the spotlight once more.
Bend It Like Beckham is the story of Jesminder "Jess" Kaur Bhamra, a British Punjabi Sikh teenage girl who dreams of playing professional football just like her idol, David Beckham. Her parents are strict and don't support this dream, as they would prefer for her to focus on her academic life, but when Jess has the opportunity to join an all-girls local football team, she is more than willing to go against the obstacles ahead of her to pursue her dreams. Alongside Jess, the story also follows the story of Juliette "Jules" Paxton, who becomes Jess's best friend and confidant, and shares the dream of also becoming a professional player.
The unexpected, yet exciting, sequel news was released in July 2025, with Deadline reporting that this project was officially in the works. In an interview, the original film's director, Gurinder Chadha, revealed she was excited to revisit the story, characters, and the legacy that has been built ever since its debut. Chadha also commented on her interest in bringing back the original cast members, and while some were aware the sequel is getting done, the actors also wanted to see a script before committing.
British actresses Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Archie Panjabi, and Juliette Stevenson played Jess, Jules, "Pinky" Kaur Bhamra (Jess's sister), and Paula Paxton (Jules' mother), respectively, and according to Chadha, are the ones potentially open to returning. Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers played the team's manager and Jess's love interest in the first film, but Chadha didn't mention him during the interview.
Chadha is extremely hopeful about the project and commented that she's open to the sequel being a film or a TV series. The premiere date is still undecided, but Chadha commented that she was aiming for a 2027 release, as it would coincide with the film's 25th anniversary and also with the FIFA Women's World Cup tournament, which will be held in Brazil during that summer.
The legacy of Bend It Like Beckham can still be felt after all these years, as it revolutionised the public's interest in women's sports, particularly football. Chadha detailed her interactions with the head coach of the U.S. women's national soccer team, Emma Hayes, at the 2025 Cannes Festival, and disclosed that the film inspired Hayes to join the sport when she was younger.
The film was also instrumental in representing the Punjabi Sikh community, in breaking down gender stereotypes, raising awareness when it came to multiculturalism, particularly in Britain, and was the catalyst for numerous women wanting to pursue their dreams despite what society told them, as Emma Hayes had previously mentioned. This film was also the beginning of Keira Knightley's path to stardom, who is known for her roles in Pride and Prejudice, Pirates of the Caribbean, Atonement, and plenty more iconic roles.
Despite the original scepticism Chadha received from multiple people when pitching the film and questions like who would be interested in watching a movie about women's sports, Chadha trusted her vision and project. Chadha was proven right when Bend It Like Beckham was met with positive reviews and, having had a budget of slightly over 5 million dollars, a box office revenue of over 75 million worldwide.