A sequel to Gurinder Chadha's Bend It Like Beckham is in the works, after 20 years in development. The director revealed, in an interview with BBC, that the sequel will release in 2027, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Bend It Like Beckham, and the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Released in 2002, Bend It Like Beckham follows Jesminder "Jess" Kaur Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), a young Punjabi in London, who wants to pursue her dream of having a career in football, while facing resistance from her parents.
Bend It Like Beckham also stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Juliet Stevenson, Shaznay Lewis, and Archie Panjabi, with a screenplay written by the director along with Paul Mayeda Berges and Guljit Bindra. In an interview, the director said, "A lot has changed since the original film, but I think that people still don't think that women should play football. There are people who still don't take it seriously." She also hopes to reunite the original cast.