Bend It Like Beckham director working on sequel after success of Lionesses

07 October 2023 , 07:00

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MMAIN - EXCL Bend It Like Beckham Gurinder Chadha working on sequel after success of Lionesses in World Cup

Bend It Like Beckham film-maker Gurinder Chadha has revealed that she has been working on a sequel to iconic 2000's flick Bend It Like Like Beckham following the incredible success of the England Women's Football team in the Women's World Cup this year.

Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, Gurinder, 63, who is also the genius behind box-office smash movie Angus Thongs And Perfect Snogging, said that she has been defiantly against the idea of a sequel to Bend It Like Beckham following it's huge global success - until this year.

Bend It Like Beckham was theatrically released first in the UK in 2002 and the film received rave reviews from critics, with praise for the screenplay, light-hearted tone, and commentary on South Asian social norms and culture. The UK-based film wasn't just a hit here - it also grossed a staggering $76.6 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing football sports film. It also became the first Western movie to ever grace theaters in North Korea.

Bend It Like Beckham Gurinder Chadha working on sequel after success of Lionesses in World Cup

Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra who starred in the 2002 movie

With a stellar cast including Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keira Knightley, Parminder Nagra, and Archie Panjabi, Gurinder for a long time felt that no sequel could top the success of the film which she fought so hard to get funding for - that was until the Lionesses incredible journey during the World Cup.

Given that Bend It Like Beckham shone a light on the taboo that was women's football over twenty years ago, the film-maker feels that a new stance on the women's sport that was for a long time not respected in the UK, could be another huge success.

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Opening up about her exciting film plans, Gurinder told The Mirror: "For the longest time I never wanted to do a sequel. But I have to say, after the World Up this year, and also with the EUROs a few years ago, my brain is ticking again and I have an idea in my head that I'm thinking through for the first time.

"I'm thinking that I could definitely do something. I never wanted to follow the girls off in America, because I felt that what I had created was so magical for that moment in time. It's very hard with sequels - there are very few sequels that I think really hit the mark after the success of the first film.

"However, I do have an idea and I am starting to work on it, so I think I will definitely do something that shows how brilliant our athletes are right now."

Opening up about the inspiration behind Bend It Like Beckham, Gurinder shared: "The inspiration for the film came from an England football match I saw on TV. I saw Ian Wright on the pitch with a Union Jack. I thought things had changed, football was changing. Something felt different and I always liked bringing opposites together.

"I thought football with David Beckham and an Indian girl, they were two worlds that are separate. I thought the film would do well but I never expected that 20 years on it would be so cherished and loved all over the world. I didn’t think it would become a girl power classic.

Parminder Nagra and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were the main stars in Bend It Like Beckham in 2002

"Recently in America, every single one of the soccer team that were champions said they got into football because of the film. And so much has changed here too. The women’s game is on TV now. You would never have that back then. There has been a lot of progress, also with racism."

To celebrate the start of this year's London Film Festival, The National Lottery, in partnership with the British Film Institute, teamed up with film directors and writers Gurinder, OBE and Charlotte Regan to unveil the 'Walk of Stars' at London's South Bank.

The installation shines a light on how the £30m raised every week by National Lottery players goes towards good causes across the UK by celebrating the incredible talent behind brilliant films, as well as the rising stars of the UK film industry, who have all been supported by National Lottery funding through the BFI.

For more information on The National Lottery funding visit https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/funding

Susan Knox