'Bend It Like Beckham' to become musical

Bend it Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha has revealed that the movie is to become a musical.

The 2002 film followed a young girl living in London who decides to follow her footballing ambitions.

Keira Knightley played the best friend and suspected girlfriend of Parminder Nagra's character in the breakout hit.

Chadha said: "The script is ready to go. It's going to be on both the West End and Broadway. We are currently deciding who is the right person to write the score, so it's at a really exciting stage."

Knightley's spokesman said that the Atonement star is not planning to take up the role again, despite recent singing lessons for the film adaptation of My Fair Lady, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Producer Sonia Friedman will be taking on the stage production, after scoring success with the adaptation of the Reese Witherspoon film Legally Blonde.

In December, Bend it like Beckham became the first Western film to be shown in North Korea.

The film was edited down to one hour because of censors' objections to interracial relationships, swearing and homosexuality.

Chadha denied in 2005 that she ever planned to make a sequel to the film, which grossed more than $76 million (£48 million) worldwide.

Watch the trailer for Bend it Like Beckham below: