Legally Blonde: One of the most iconic movies of its time. If you haven't watched it, it's more likely than not that you've at least heard of Elle Woods and her path to legal success. The movie has several sequels, such as Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde and Legally Blondes, along with a Broadway adaptation in 2007.

However, the franchise's time isn't done yet, because Reese Witherspoon (the original Elle Woods), announced a few months ago that Legally Blonde will be receiving a prequel, directed by Witherspoon herself. The prequel series, titled Elle, will follow Elle Woods as she navigates high school, shedding light on the events that led her to where she was in the original movie.

Image Credit: Eva Rinaldi from Wikimedia

Creative Minds

Although Elle will be produced by Reese Witherspoon, there are also several additional people who will play a big role in its production. The show will be run by Laura Kitrell (Insecure, High School), and will have the original Legally Blonde franchise, producer, Marc Platt, on as an executive producer. Additional executive producers of the show are Lauren Levy Neustadter (Your Place or Mine, Where the Crawdads Sing), Stephanie Savage (Endless Love, Runaways), and Josh Schwartz (Runaways, Looking For Alaska).

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Plot

This show will center around Elle's life before college, highlighting the key moments that shaped her into the woman we all know.

In a Jimmy Fallon interview, Witherspoon revealed that the inspiration for the show came from Tim Burton's Wednesday (2022). As she told Fallon, "I loved it; I watched every episode. I thought it was amazing. And I was like, we should do Elle Woods in high school, because I wanted to see who she was before college, before law school."

Who Plays Elle Woods?

Although the full cast hasn't been released yet, we officially have our Elle Woods, played by Lexi Minetree. Witherspoon made the announcement on her Instagram on February 13, with a video of her breaking the news to Minetree.

Minetree posted the video on her Instagram as well, with the caption:

Ok ok ok, my brain is going nuts over here I don’t even know where to BEGIN. Probably with the thank you’s…ya that’s a good place to start normally, nice thinking Lexi! Thank you to my family, friends, and reps who believe in me and my silly lil dreams.

Thank you to @amazonmgmstudios , @hellosunshine and everyone involved with this project for trusting me with this iconic role. Thank you to David and Matt for running such a kind and supportive casting room. Thank you @jasontmoore for directing me so well they decided to cast me, HA! I am so soooo insanely happy to continue working alongside you!

And thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to @reesewitherspoon for handing me down Elle Woods. I already love her so so much, I promise she’s in good hands. P.S. thank you for showing me how amazing I am going to look in the future, soooo looking forward to that:)

Lexi Minetree, known for her roles in Law and Order: SVU and Noises Off, among others, has been pointed out by many fans as looking like a younger version of Reese Witherspoon. As Witherspoon put it, "Isn't it crazy? When I saw her tape, I was like, 'Are we the same person?'" She is not only referring to Minetree's looks but also to her acting. Because of this, fans can expect Minetree's portrayal of Elle to be true to the original, while adding a unique touch to it!

Release Date

Image Credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios from Wikimedia

Elle is expected to premiere on Prime Video sometime this year. While speaking to People, Witherspoon confirmed that filming will begin in March of this year, so it is most likely that viewers will get to see it sometime towards the end of 2025. Due to the condensed production timeline, we expect to receive a trailer for the show sometime soon.

Conclusion

Although this series won't be the same as the original movie, Witherspoon has stated on numerous occasions that Elle will be authentic and will follow the same Elle Woods we know and love. To Deadline, she stated, "I truly couldn’t be more excited about this series! Fans will get to know how Elle Woods navigated her world as a teenager with her distinct personality and ingenuity, in ways that only our beloved Elle could do...Legally Blonde is back!"

We can certainly expect the same flair and charm that we see in Legally Blonde, along with the hilarious quotable moments we know to expect from Elle Woods. This show isn't meant to replace the original; it's meant to grow the franchise and enhance what we already have. So, if you aren't already planning to, make sure to go watch Elle when it releases!