Keira Knightley has expressed interest in playing the coach in the upcoming sequel to ‘Bend It Like Beckham’. The actress, who played Jules in the 2002 film, made the comment while promoting her new Netflix thriller ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’.
Director Gurinder Chadha confirmed in August that a sequel is in development, aiming for a 2027 release to mark the film’s 25th anniversary and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Chadha stated she recently came up with a story after long hesitation.
Knightley told Metro she was excited to learn about the sequel and, when director Simon Stone suggested a role, she replied: ‘Obviously I’ve got to be the coach.’ The pair joked that Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ character previously coached the team, but now it was Jules’ turn.
In a separate interview with Vogue, Knightley revealed she and co-star Parminder Nagra had suspected during filming that their characters ‘were obviously a couple’. She speculated on possibilities for the sequel, saying, ‘Maybe they’ve split up and they get back together? 25 years is a long time, there’s so much that could have happened.’
Chadha told the BBC that original cast members are aware of the sequel but want to see a script first. She is ‘pretty certain that everyone’s going to want to come back’ and is working to ensure each character has a decent arc.
The original film grossed $76.6 million (£56.8 million) and launched Knightley’s career. She has since starred in ‘Love Actually’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, and ‘Pride & Prejudice’. Her next role is in ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’, out later this week.
