The British comedy "Bend It Like Beckham" surprised critics and audiences when it first premiered in 2002. Gurinder Chadha, who wrote and directed the film, will attempt to present the story of a Punjabi Sikh girl who longs to play professional soccer in a "new dynamic" - a musical on the London stage.
The musical adaptation will debut at the West End's Phoenix Theater next summer. Previews will begin on May 15, and opening night will be June 24, according to BBC News.
The show will stick to the movie plotline about Jess Bhamra, a Punjabi Sikh woman who secretly joins a professional soccer club, despite her orthodox Sikh parents' disapproval of her playing the sport.
"Developing 'Bend It Like Beckham' for the stage has been the most enjoyable creative process of my career so far," Chadha said in a statement.
"It was always my intention to build on the film and to present its themes and storylines to live audiences in an exciting new dynamic way. I believe we are presenting a totally new kind of musical - part West End, part London Punjabi, but whole-heartedly British."
The film starred Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. "Bend It Like Beckham" performed well in the U.K. and its audience grew in America as Knightley became a big-name actress. It also received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations in 2003 and won the ESPY award for Best Sports Movie that year.
