Football and theatre lovers alike will be thrilled to hear that a new musical based on the film BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM is currently in development for a possible 2014 premiere.

David Beckham has given producers permission to use his name in the title, as well as footage of his signature, curving free kick.

The film BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM premiered in 2002 and catapulted its stars – Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra – to international move stardom. Director Gurinder Chadha will return to direct the stage adaptation.

Howard Goodall (Blackadder, The Vicar of Dibley, Red Dwarf, The Hired Man, Love Story) will craft the score, with lyrics by Charles Hart and book by Chadha and her husband, Paul Mayeda Berges. Choregrapher Lynne Page has also signed on to the project. The creative team also has plans to include Punjabi and Hindi slang terms in the show, as well as a mesh of Hindi and English – "Hinglish".

Goodall and Hart are in the process of finishing the first act, and workshops are planned for next year, leading up to a fall 2013 or perhaps a 2014 premiere.