All About the Sequel (Including a Potential Premiere!)

A beloved soccer sequel is on the way!

Bend It Like Beckham officially has a second movie in development, the original film’s director, Gurinder Chadha, told Deadline in July 2025. The 2002 sports comedy-drama starred Parminder Nagra as Jess and Keira Knightley as Jules, two soccer players determined to play the sport professionally despite both of their families’ objections.

Over two decades since the film hit theaters, it’s become one of the most popular sports comedy-dramas, with fans pleading for a sequel.

“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 told Deadline.

Although the director kept much of the plot and any returning cast members under wraps, she revealed that she hopes to release the sequel in 2027 for the original film’s 25th anniversary.

Here’s everything to know about Bend It Like Beckham 2.

What was the original Bend It Like Beckham about?

Bend It Like Beckham was a 2002 coming-of-age movie that starred Nagra as Jess and Knightley as Jules. The two women cross paths through their love for soccer and quickly bond over their families’ disapproval of their athletic ambitions.

Jess and Jules become best friends and push each other to become better soccer players on the female amateur team, the Hounslow Harriers. However, their friendship faces a hurdle when both of them fall for their coach Joe, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

Despite the hiccup, Jess and Jules prioritize their passion for soccer and both receive scholarships to attend Santa Clara University in California. Before they leave, Joe confesses his love for Jess, and they seem to leave in a relationship.

The film ends with the girls in the airport on the way to the U.S., where they see David Beckham, whom both of the women adored, with his wife, Victoria Beckham. The sighting teases that the women are on their way to becoming successful soccer players.

After Chadha revealed that she was working on a sequel, she recalled that when she pitched the first film, production companies told her, “‘We’re not interested. Who wants to see a film about girls playing football?’ Everyone laughed me out of the rooms.”

Chadha added that the first film “was about lifting up girls and saying, ‘You can do and you can be anything you want even though society dictates what you can and can’t do,’ and that message is still relevant today, even though we have women and women’s soccer sides so huge around the world. The film’s been part of that legacy, and I feel there’s more that I can do.”

What will Bend It Like Beckham 2 be about?

An official plot for Bend It Like Beckham 2 has not been released. However, Chadha teased to Deadline that she hopes to bring the same message of “you can be anything you want” with the sequel.

“So that’s what I’m writing and that’s what I’m focusing on. It will be hard-hitting, of course, but it will also be incredibly joyous,” she told the outlet. “Let’s hope we can bring back that same joy and feel good about putting women and girls on the map like we did 23 years ago.”

Chadha explained that she struggled for two decades to come up with a concept for a second film, but she became “inspired” ahead of attending the Women’s European Championship 2025.

“I didn’t want to do anything because I didn’t have a story. And then I came up with a great story, really super cool story. So now I’m inspired. Literally came up with it just about a month ago,” she said. “It’s my very clear wish to bring the characters back very, very soon. Women’s football is more competitive, more exciting and more global than ever. It is an honor for me to be a small part of it.”

Who’s directing Bend It Like Beckham 2?

Chadha, who directed the first film, has taken charge of directing the sequel. She wrote the original screenplay alongside her husband, Paul Mayeda Berges, and Guljit Bindra, but she has not specified how they’ll officially be involved in Bend It Like Beckham 2.

“I’m hoping to write it with Paul, who has come up with some very funny lines like he did last time,” Chadha said.

Meanwhile, the director revealed that she’ll be working with a new collaborator: the head coach of the United States women’s national team, Emma Hayes. After meeting at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, they hit it off and committed to working “collaboratively” on the sequel.

“Her insights into the world of football at her level are invaluable,” Chadha shared.

Hayes also credited Chadha for the “massive impact” the first film had on both her life and women’s soccer. She said, “Twenty three 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.”

Who is in the cast of Bend It Like Beckham 2?

The official cast for Bend It Like Beckham 2 has not been released. In addition to Knightley and Nagra, the first film also starred Meyers, Archie Panjabi, Juliet Stevenson, Shaznay Lewis, Anupam Kher, Shaheen Khan, Frank Harper, Ameet Chana and Kulvinder Ghir, among others.

Chadha revealed that several cast members “are aware that a sequel is being developed, but they obviously want to see a script before they commit.”

“I’m pretty certain that everyone’s going to want to come back,” she added. “Everything hinges on the script and if the original cast likes it. I am working really hard to make sure every character I bring back has a decent arc and scenes.”

Knightley has not commented on returning to the film since Chadha confirmed the sequel, but she previously spoke about the impact it had on her career.

“It’s amazing because it’s still the film even today, you know, if someone comes up to talk to me about my work it’s that one,” Knightley said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2023. “It’s so loved. It’s amazing.”

Nagra has also not addressed the sequel, but she previously explained that she’d need to learn more about the future of her character before signing on.

“I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like when someone’s made a film, you kind of go, that was that moment and it probably should just be left alone because then the expectation for whatever the sequel is,” she told Hello! Magazine in 2024. “I’d have to see … 22 years, man. We’ll see.”

When will Bend It Like Beckham 2 be released?

Chadha explained that she’s hoping to release Bend It Like Beckham 2 in 2027 for the original film’s 25th anniversary.

2027 is also a major year for women’s soccer, as the FIFA Women’s World Cup is scheduled for that July.

Where can I watch Bend It Like Beckham?

Bend It Like Beckham is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.