It's great news for fans of Bend It Like Beckham, as the 2002 sports film is returning with a sequel more than 20 years after its release.
The football film follows 18-year-old Jess Bhamra, who dreams of becoming a professional football player, despite the expectations of her traditional Punjabi parents to marry a suitable husband and get a job as a lawyer.
A cult classic, the film is loved by viewers all over the world and made more than $76 million worldwide following its release.
HELLO!'s Deputy Online Editor, Sharnaz Shahid, is a huge fan of the film. "Bend It Like Beckham has always been one of my all-time favourite films, it's the only movie I've ever paid to see four times in the cinema!" she said. "The soundtrack is absolutely brilliant and packed with nostalgia; just hearing it takes me right back. Beyond that, the film was a game-changer for how women's sport, especially football, was portrayed on screen. It inspired a generation. Knowing how many of the original cast have gone on to do incredible things makes the idea of a sequel even more exciting. I, like so many others, can't wait to see where Jess, Jules and the whole team are now."
The feel-good comedy, directed and penned by Gurinder Chadha, made stars out of Keira Knightley, Parminder Nagra and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. But where are they now? Keep reading to find out what the cast has been up to since the film's release.
© AFF-USA/ShutterstockParminder Nagra
After finding fame as Jess in the 2002 football comedy, Parminder went on to garner international notoriety in the role of Neela Rasgotra in the US hospital drama, ER.
TV watchers will also know Parminder for her roles in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Maternal, and the ITV crime series, DI Ray.
The 49-year-old, who shares a son with her ex-husband, photographer James Stenson, spoke to HELLO! last year about whether she'd star in a Bend It Like Beckham sequel. "Sometimes I feel like when someone's made a film, you kind of go, that was that moment and it probably should just be left alone because then the expectation for whatever the sequel is," explained the actress.
Pondering where her character would be 20 years latee, she asked: "What I would come back as, a coach? What would I be? I couldn't be playing football for the women's team. I'm too old for that."
© WireImageKeira Knightley
After starring in Bend It Like Beckham, Keira carved out a sparkling career in Hollywood, with roles in Love Actually, the Pirates of the Caribbean films and Atonement.
She also played heroine Elizabeth Bennet in the 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, for which she received an Academy Award nomination. Keira received her second Oscar nod in 2014 for her role in the thriller, The Imitation Game.
Her other notable TV and film credits include The Duchess, Anna Karenina, and more recently, Netflix's Black Doves.
As for her home life, Keira has been married to musician James Righton since 2013. The couple share two daughters.
© Daniele VenturelliJonathan Rhys Meyers
Jonathan Rhys Meyers became a Hollywood heartthrob thanks to his role as Joe in the coming-of-age film, after which he landed a string of hit movies and TV series.
Some of his most notable roles include playing Elvis Presley in the 2005 biographical miniseries Elvis, for which he won a Golden Globe and earned an Emmy nomination, and for his role as King Henry VIII in the historical drama The Tudors, which earned him two Golden Globe nods.
He also starred in the NBC drama series Dracula, which ran for one season between 2013 and 2014.
Away from the cameras, Jonathan shares a son named Wolf with actress Mara Lane, whom he married in 2016. Earlier this year, it was reported that the couple had split.
Jonathan has been candid about his issues with alcohol over the years, telling the Daily Mail in 2018: "I've been to a lot of rehab centres in my life... I went to three in one year and I talked to my therapist. I would be known as somebody who relapses with problem drinking, not alcoholism. I don't suffer from alcoholism – I suffer from an allergy to alcohol every time I drink it. But once I stop, I never think about it again."
© Anthony Harvey/ShutterstockArchie Panjabi
Archie, who hails from London, is a familiar face thanks to her impressive CV of film and TV credits. Viewers will know her for her roles in The Good Wife, in which she played Kalinda Sharma, ITV's The Widower and Still Open All Hours.
She's also held roles in Life On Mars and Silent Witness, while her Hollywood credits include The Constant Gardner and A Good Year.
More recently, Archie played Suman Virk in the true crime drama Under the Bridge, which starred Riley Keough, and also appeared in Apple TV+'s hit thriller, Hijack.
Archie has been married to Rajesh Nihalan, a tailor, since 1998.
© Simon Ridgway,BBCJuliet Stevenson
Juliet Stevenson CBE has been a regular fixture on our screens for years, with her early roles including Truly, Madly, Deeply and Emma.
Since Bend It Like Beckham, the 68-year-old actress has appeared in a number of major films and TV shows such as Mona Lisa Smile, Being Julia, The Village, The Long Call and Death in Paradise.
More recently, she appeared in the 2023 BBC thriller Wolf [pictured above], the true crime drama, A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, and is set to appear in the BBC's upcoming historical drama, King & Conqueror.
Juliet is married to anthropologist Hugh Brody. The couple have two children together, a son and a daughter.
© Lewis/Starpix/ShutterstockAnupam Kher
While Anupam Kher might be known to many for playing Jess' former cricketer dad Mohaan Singh Bhamra, he boasts an illustrious career in Indian cinema and has appeared in over 500 films.
The actor, who is the recipient of two National Film Awards and eight Filmfare Awards, has also landed supporting roles in Hollywood films such as Silver Linings Playbook and The Big Sick. In 2018, he received a BAFTA nomination for his performance in the BBC romance-drama, The Boy With The Topknot.
The actor has been married to actress-turned-politician Kirron Kher since 1985.
© Anthony Harvey/ShutterstockShaznay Lewis
While Bend It Like Beckham fans will know Shaznay for her role as Jess's teammate Mel, she's perhaps better known for her music career, having founded the all-girl group, All Saints, with Melanie Blatt in 1993.
The group had five UK number-one singles before going their separate ways in 2001, after which Shaznay embarked on a solo music career and released her debut album, Open, in 2004. She released her second solo album, Pages, in 2024.
As for her home life, Shaznay is married to dancer Christian 'Storm' Horsfall. They share two children together.
© Film Council / Lions GateWhere to watch Bend It Like Beckham
For fans wanting to rewatch the original ahead of the sequel's release, Bend It Like Beckham is available to stream on ITVX in the UK and on Disney+.
