"Bend It Like Beckham" writer/director Gurinder Chadha has confirmed she is writing a sequel to the football/soccer movie which became the 'sleeper hit' of 2003 reports Keira Web.

Speaking to the UK papers, she said: "I am making a sequel to Bend it Like Beckham. But I see it more as a continuation of the characters than an actual sequel. The first film was based on me when I was growing up, whereas this next one is going to be about my life afterwards. I'm busy with another project at the moment, but after that I'm really looking forward to getting started on it."

Filmed on a budget of just US$6.5m the movie went on to take US$76m at box offices worldwide and propelled Parminder Nagra (TV's "ER") and Keira Knightley into the Hollywood spotlight. With the script of the second movie still to be written it remains to be seen whether best friends Jess and Jules will BOTH be back on the field. At the end of the first movie both girls left England to train at a US soccer academy in Santa Clara.

Thanks to 'Paul'