David Beckham’s son Romeo lands acting debut in gay sports movie
A new tennis movie with a gay romance plot later this year will star Romeo Beckham, son of soccer legend David, in his acting debut.
Mark
Romeo Beckham was previously following in the footsteps of his famous father, David Beckham, in professional soccer, but he gave up on that career path two years ago.
Now it’s headline news that Romeo is going into acting, and that his debut role will be in a gay sports movie.
The 23-year-old, who is the second of four children in the Beckham family, will star in “Forty Love,” an upcoming romantic drama set in the world of professional tennis. It’s scheduled to hit theaters in France in the fall.
Related
‘Challengers’ wasn’t explicitly about gay tennis players. Did that make it a better film?
Released just over a year ago, ‘Challengers’ was hailed for its love triangle. Yet none of the athletes were ‘out’ in the film as gay or bi.
Romeo Beckham was on the books of Inter Miami, the MLS club co-owned by his father, and then London-based Premier League team Brentford.
Get off the sidelines and into the game
Our weekly playbook is packed with everything from locker room chatter to pressing LGBTQ sports issues.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
In Florida, he played for Inter Miami II in USL League One and MLS Next Pro, and also featured for Brentford’s “B” side before hanging up his boots.
Since then, he’s been modeling for fashion labels like Burberry and Balenciaga, and sportswear brands Puma and Champion. He’s also currently dating a fellow model, Kim Turnbull.
“Forty Love” certainly sounds intriguing. The film follows Sacha Gallo (played by French actor Paul Kircher), a rising tennis superstar training intensely with his father to win a major tournament in Paris.
However, his world is turned upside down when a charismatic new rival, played by Beckham, comes onto the scene.
A deeper dive reveals that this casting news was actually reported in France back in March, but it’s now come to wider attention via an exclusive article and “first look” still in Variety.
The article quotes the film’s synopsis from co-producer Studiocanal. “For the first time, [Sacha] faces an opponent of an entirely different nature — love. A force as exhilarating as it is destabilizing — and far more dangerous than anything he has encountered on the court.”
Romeo Beckham Making Acting Debut in Tennis Romance 'Forty Love'; Studiocanal Unveils First Look (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/JVGPNCHROc— Variety (@Variety) June 22, 2026
Romeo Beckham’s acting debut has an out gay director
“Forty Love” marks the feature film directorial debut of Pierre-Ange Carlotti, an out gay photographer who is known for his striking images.
Frequently displaying a homoerotic aesthetic, Carlotti’s body of work means he’s already being marked out as an exciting new talent in queer cinema.
The Corsican-born director has a “singular visual language [that] gives the film a real edge,” according to Studiocanal executive Chloé Marquet.
In the supporting cast is the French actor Benjamin Voisin, who previously starred as David in François Ozon’s acclaimed 2020 gay romantic drama “Summer of 85.” Legendary actress Catherine Deneuve is also set to make a cameo appearance.
“Forty Love” is set to arrive on screen just two years after Luca Guadagnino’s hit film “Challengers,” which found a huge global audience for its depiction of intense, tension-filled relationships on and off the tennis court.
That movie, which won one of its four Golden Globe nominations, had LGBTQ themes, but not a gay or bisexual romance.
Some outlets are already suggesting “Forty Love” will be the tennis equivalent of “Heated Rivalry,” although it’s too early to say.
As for Romeo Beckham’s involvement, let’s hope it doesn’t end up disappointing gay cinephiles. His father has certainly let down gay soccer fans with some of his comments and choices in recent years.
The film is set for a theatrical release on November 25, and with its star name, it would be a surprise if it doesn’t pick up strong international distribution too. One to watch.
Subscribe to the Outsports newsletter to keep up with your favorite out athletes, inspiring LGBTQ sports stories, and more.
