Sapphics assemble. After over 20 years, a sequel has finally been confirmed for the beloved cult classic Bend It Like Beckham. That’s right, the most lesbian, non-lesbian film, is coming back for extra time, according to director Gurinder Chadha. 

Chadha confirmed the news to the BBC on Saturday, July 26, the day before the Women’s Euros 2025 final in Basel. England, also known as the Lionesses, went on to beat Spain on penalties to claim the trophy for a second consecutive tournament. It was the best-attended Women’s European Championship ever, with a total of over 650,000 spectators watching the matches in the stadiums.

“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,” Chadha 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.”

While Chadha is unsure what form the Bend It Like Beckham sequel will take, she suggested it could be a film or a television series. She hopes to reunite some of the original cast for the project, and thinks that current England players will be “queueing up” to take on cameo roles.

The director has pencilled in 2027 for the release, marking the film’s 25th anniversary and the Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The original Bend It Like Beckham film came out in 2002, grossing almost £60 million on a budget of £3.5 million. Starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, it followed the story of a young British-Indian girl who bent the rules to follow her dream of playing professional football.

While not a specifically queer film, Chadha said her intention was always 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.”

Viewers have also long noted the sapphic undertones (somewhat unavoidable when talking about women’s football), and it will be interesting to see if the sequel will introduce any LGBTQ+ storylines.