Walt Disney has commissioned an original musical feature from Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges. The untitled film, which Chadha will direct, write and produce while Berges co-writes, is under wraps but will be overseen by Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production President Sean Bailey.
Lindy Goldstein (“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”) will produce through her Lindy Goldstein Production banner. Chadha has received two BAFTA nominations for her directorial efforts on “Bend It Like Beckham” in 2002 and her feature directorial debut “Bhaji on the Beach” in 1993. Her follow-up, “What’s Cooking,” was the Opening Night Film of the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and was voted joint Audience Award Favorite in the New York Film Critics’ 2000 season alongside “Billy Elliott.”
“Bend It Like Beckham” was a critical and commercial succcess, earning $76 million worldwide and becoming, at the time, the biggest-grossing British-financed and distributed film ever at the UK box office. It would go on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), a BAFTA Award nomination for Best British Film, a European Film Academy nomination for Best Film, and a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Chadha has made several films and TV series in India with her company Bend It Films, including “Bride & Prejudice,” “Angus, Thongs and the Perfect Snogging” and “It’s a Wonderful Afterlife.”
New Line shelled out $15 million at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival for Chadha’s “Blinded By the Light.” The film, loosely based on the early life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoora details a young Pakistani man dealing with family squabbles and systemic prejudice in 1987 Britain through his love of Bruce Springsteen music, earned $18 million worldwide.
Chadha is represented by CAA and attorney Alan Wertheimer while Goldstein is represented by Hansen Jacobson.
This story was initially reported by Deadline.
