Bend It Like Beckham lands on Netflix amid exciting sequel plans
The original movie came out in 2002
Football fever is in the air right now thanks to the Women's Euros, which concluded on at the end of last month with a thrilling final between England and Spain. Ahead of the big game, which saw England's Lionesses retain their title, some very exciting news for movie fans was announced...
Will there be a Bend It Like Beckham sequel?
More than 20 years after its release, 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham is set for a sequel, with the movie's director Gurinder Chadha teasing the news to the BBC.
She said: "A lot has changed since the original movie, but I think that people still don't think that women should play football. 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."
When will it be out?
Nothing has been confirmed just yet, but it sounds like Gurinder has 2027 in mind, as it marks the original film's 25th anniversary, and of course is the year of the FIFA Women's World Cup, which will take place in Brazil.
What will it be about?
No plot details have been released, but Gurinder told the BBC: "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."
Who will be in the cast?
No cast details have been announced at this early stage, but creator Gurinder Chadha did say she hopes to reunite the original cast, meaning we could see the likes of Keira Knightley, Parminder Nagra, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Juliet Stevenson all return.
Gurinder has also admitted she would love to see some of the England Women squad take on cameo roles in the sequel.
When did the original movie come out?
Comedy-drama Bend It Like Beckham was released in the UK back on 12th April 2002.
The movie went on to gross $76.6 million at the box office, with the film being adapted into a stage musical in 2015.
You can watch the trailer for Bend It Like Beckham below:
The original movie starred some huge names such as Keira Knightley, Parminder Nagra and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, as well as cameo appearances form the likes of Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen and John Barnes, and the film's director Gurinder Chadha, who makes a brief appearance at the wedding.
Check out the cast of Bend It Like Beckham below:
Parminder Nagra as Jesminder "Jess" Bhamra
Keira Knightley as Juliette "Jules" Paxton
Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Joe (the football coach)
Anupam Kher as Mr. Bhamra (Jess’s father)
Shaheen Khan as Mrs. Bhamra (Jess’s mother)
Archie Panjabi as Pinky Bhamra (Jess’s older sister)
Frank Harper as Alan Paxton (Jules’s father)
Juliet Stevenson as Paula Paxton (Jules’s mother)
Ameet Chana as Tony (Jess’s best friend)
How can I watch the original movie?
Bend It Like Beckham is currently available to watch on ITVX, as well as streaming service Prime Video and Disney+.
On Friday 15th August, it also landed on Netflix for the first time in history.
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Blade Runner (1982)
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When Blade Runner returned in 2017 for a sequel, as Blade Runner 2049, Harrison Ford reprised his role as Rick Deckard, and Edward James Olmos also reprised his role of Detective Gaff, alongside Ryan Gosling as K / Joe.
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