Basel: Over two decades after "Bend It Like Beckham" captured hearts and inspired a generation, filmmaker Gurinder Chadha has confirmed that a sequel to the 2002 cult classic is in the works.
Speaking to the BBC from Basel, Chadha said the sequel is being envisioned for 2027, aligning with the 25th anniversary of the original film and the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.
"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 said.
While the precise format remains undecided, be it a feature film or an episodic series, Chadha is unequivocal about her intent: to reignite conversations around women's visibility in football and the persisting prejudice that shadow their success, reports BBC.
"A lot has changed since the original movie, but I think that people still don't think that women should play football," she said.
"There are people who still don't take it seriously, although the Lionesses are riding high."
"I've left it a while, but I thought: look at the Euros, look at the Lionesses."
The form of the sequel remains fluid, it may materialise as either a feature film or a television series. Chadha said she hoped not only to reunite the original cast, but that members of the current England squad would be "queuing up" to take on cameo roles.
The original film, starring Kiera Knightley and Parminder Nagra, chronicled the journey of Jess Bhamra, a British-Indian teenager torn between her traditional family expectations and her passion for football. Grossing almost £60m on a budget of £3.5m, Bend It Like Beckham was a surprise hit that told the story of a young British-Indian girl with a passion for football.
Chadha told the BBC that she had not expected the original to be so successful.
Her intention, she said, had been to "uplift girls, girls who grew up like me, who were always being told how to dress, how to look, what to say, what not to say".
"What I did was say you can do what you want, and you can have it all, and I think that's a really great message to put out again. I think there's still stuff to say, and stuff to challenge."
