As one of the most famous people in the world, it's surprising this documentary wasn't made years ago. Last summer Netflix announced it was partnering with Academy Award winning director Fisher Stevens to grant us unprecedented access into David Beckham's life, and we've been eagerly awaiting its release ever since.
And now it's finally here. All four episodes of the documentary series Beckham are available to stream on Netflix.
The 48-year-old football icon shared the trailer for the documentary on his Instagram account with the caption, 'Ten years since I retired from playing football I’m proud to share the first trailer for Beckham, my Netflix documentary series. I’m so grateful to Fisher Stevens for his partnership over the past two years to bring this project to life.
'Many hours of conversations, many stories I’ve never told and many people from my life and career sharing their memories. I can’t wait for you all to see it.'
What is the David Beckham documentary about?
Beckham is a four-part documentary series about David Beckham's life, from his childhood and working class roots in east London to his career as a world famous footballer and life as a father of four.
It features interviews with his wife Victoria Beckham, his former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, his parents Ted and Sandra Beckham and his former teammate Rio Ferdinand. We will also hear from Gary Neville, Eric Cantona, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Mel C (aka Sporty Spice), Diego Simeone, Carlos Queiroz, Luís Figo, Míchel Salgado, Florentino Pérez, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo Nazário and Fabio Capello.
In a press release from Netflix, it's described as 'an intimate portrait of a man as well as a chronicle of late-modern sports and celebrity culture'.
What is the David Beckham documentary release date?
The series officially landed on Netflix on 4 October and each of the four episodes is an hour long.
Is there a trailer for 'Beckham'?
Yes, there is! You can watch the trailer here if you still need convincing.
Will it be on Netflix?
The above trailer is a bit of a give away, but yes, Beckham is now available to stream on Netflix.
Will Victoria Beckham be in the documentary?
Yes, David's wife Victoria Beckham, 49, features heavily in the documentary. It charts their relationship, from when they met in 1997, as two of the most famous people in the world – facing a tirade of media attention – right up to their marriage in the present day.
David and Victoria Beckham have been married for 24 years and share four children together. Given Victoria's pop career as one fifth of the Spice Girls, and David's footballing fame peaking when he was captain of the England team, the ups and downs of their relationship have always garnered a great deal of press attention.
In episode one, we see the couple reminiscing about when they first met. David says, 'I just fancied her' and Victoria agrees, 'I fancied him, it was a simple as that.' And later on in the series, we're treated to never before seen footage of their Robin Hood themed wedding in Ireland where they both wore satin purple outfits and sat on thrones. And it's every bit as good as it sounds...
Early photos of David and Victoria...
After seeing some of the archive footage in the documentary, it's only natural that you'd want to see some throwbacks of David and Victoria. Luckily, we've got some great ones to share with you.
Did David Beckham really have a mohawk?
You can decide for yourself...
What does David Beckham say about his affair?
Alluding to his alleged affair in 2003 while he was playing for Real Madrid, David said, 'There was some horrible stories which were difficult to deal with. It was the first time that me and Victoria had been put under that kind of pressure in our marriage.'
The director then asked Victoria if she resented him during that period and she said: 'If I'm being totally honest, yes I did. It was probably, if I'm being honest, the most unhappy I have ever been in my entire life.'
David also added, 'I think we both felt at the time that we were, not losing each other, but drowning. I don't know how we got through it, in all honesty.' They don't go into any great detail about the infidelity rumours, but this conversation is the closest the documentary gets to addressing the subject.
How many children do the Beckhams have? Are Harper Seven, Romeo, Cruz and Brooklyn Beckham in the documentary?
David, Victoria and their four children – Brooklyn, 24, Romeo, 21, Cruz, 18 and Harper Seven, 12 – all attended the Beckham premiere together. As did Brooklyn's wife Nicola Peltz and Romeo's girlfriend Mia Regan, who were both in attendance to support the family too.
Since the series paints an intimate portrait of David Beckham's family and personal life, his four kids make several appearances via archive footage. In episode two, we also see that Brooklyn's arrival in 1999 was treated like a royal birth. And there's also a clip of David and Victoria being followed by paparazzi in their car when Brooklyn was a baby.
Who is the director, Fisher Stevens?
Fisher Stevens is the Oscar-winning director behind Palmer, And We Go Green and The Cove, who's the mastermind behind the new series. He's also an actor and played Hugo in the HBO series Succession, as well as one of Phoebe's love interests, Roger, in Friends.
Fisher has been working closely with David over the past two years alongside Emmy Award-winning producer John Battsek. Beckham is in partnership with Netflix, David's own production company Studio 99 and Ventureland. However, Fisher had control of the final cut and only agreed to join the project if nothing was off the table.
What is David Beckham's net worth?
Something many of us have wondered.... the documentary was first confirmed last July, when it was reported that David had signed a £16m deal with Netflix. But that's a drop in the ocean if the following is true. According to The Times, David and Victoria's joint net worth is £425m – with revenue coming in from 'football, fashion and music'. They come in at 320 on the Sunday Times 2023 Rich List.
The newspaper said, 'Many of the couple’s business dealings are channelled through their company Beckham Brand Holdings, which showed revenues of £34.3 million in 2021. The latest annual accounts also show £8.1 million of dividends taken by the pair. Nevertheless, the Authentic Brands Group tie-up easily justifies raising the Beckhams’ fortune to £425 million this year.'
So even if this documentary ends up being flop (which we doubt it will be), it looks like the Beckhams are doing alright.