Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha wants to take her time with the sequel and ensure it’s the best it can be.

Chadha, the director and co-writer of the 2002 sports comedy-drama, revealed in July that she is working on a sequel featuring the original characters, with the hope that Keira Knightley, Parminder Nagra and their co-stars would return.

The 65-year-old is feeling the pressure to get the sequel right, and told BBC News that she didn’t want to rush into filming until it was totally ready.

“I’m working on the characters. These are big boots to fill,” she said. “I don’t want to rush it. The last thing I want is people to go, ‘It’s not as good as the original.'”

To help her research, Chadha has been consulting with Emma Hayes, the head coach of the U.S. women’s national team. They recently went for a curry dinner in London and Hayes is now helping Chadha do her “due diligence”.

“Now I’m talking to her about the business side of football, about the struggles and successes she’s had. I’m doing my due diligence,” she said in a separate interview with The Guardian.

She added, “It’s so loved I don’t want to do any old s**t. Unless I have something to say, I won’t say it.”

The Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging director previously shared her hopes of releasing the film in 2027 to coincide with the original’s 25th anniversary.

She told Deadline in July that Knightley and Nagra wanted to read the script before committing to playing Jules and Jess again.

“I’m pretty certain that everyone’s going to want to come back,” she insisted. “Everything hinges on the script and if the original cast likes it.”

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