What you need to know
Keira Knightley’s resume is full of iconic roles, but she’s been offered more roles than anyone else.
At a special screening of The Woman in Cabin 10 in London last month, PEOPLE asked the 40-year-old actress about the Bend It Like Beckham sequel announced earlier this year, and she revealed that the original 2002 film is the one she gets asked about most often by fans.
“I think it’s amazing that a movie was made almost 25 years ago. Even now, if someone thinks of me, they’re talking about that movie,” she told PEOPLE at the September 25 event at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly.
“Especially now a lot of girls are playing (soccer) and want to talk about it,” Knightley added. “So it’s nice to be part of something that has some kind of tradition and positivity around it.”
As for the sequel, which writer-director Gurinder Chadha announced to Deadline in July, the actress said the news of a new chapter in the Beckham saga was “exciting”, but remained largely mum, at least regarding her involvement.
Bend It/Film Council/Kobal/Shutterstock
“I saw it on TV,” Knightley says of the project. “Yes, I mean, how funny.”
When asked if she would reprise her role as Jules in the film, the star added: ”
Bend It Like Beckham stars Knightley as Jules and Parminder Nagra as Jess, two women passionate about soccer who play on the same team and develop a friendship. A love letter to early ’80s football, this feel-good film sees Jules fall in love with her coach while Jess secretly plays the game against her parents’ wishes.
In announcing the sequel for Deadline, Chadha said, “We’re excited to revisit the original characters, revive the timeless story, and build on the legacy we helped create in gaming for women.”
Knightley, Nagra, and other original cast members “know that a sequel is in development, but they obviously want to see the script before that,” the writer-director told the outlet, adding, “I’m sure everyone wants to come back.”
“It all depends on whether you like the script and the original cast,” Chadha said. “I work hard to make sure every character I bring back has a decent arc and scene.”
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In the latest installment of Netflix’s The Woman in Cabin 10, an adaptation of Ruth Ware’s novel of the same name, Knightley stars as Laura “Roe” Blacklock, a journalist who witnesses a possible murder on a luxury cruise ship.
“A journalist on board a luxury yacht on a traveling mission witnesses a passenger thrown overboard in the middle of the night, only to be told that it never happened because all passengers and crew were included,” the official synopsis teases. “Even though no one believes her, she continues to search for answers, risking her life.”
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The Woman in Cabin 10 is now available to stream on Netflix.
