Elle Woods Is Back: Everything We Know So Far About the ‘Legally Blonde’ Prequel

Finally, some news on the Legally Blonde prequel.

25 years on, Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods remains the blueprint: of Y2K style, memeable quotes before we were even memeing, the ultimate post break-up glow-up, a generation of girls ascending through the Ivy Leagues and into the court rooms, pink as a neutral. Now, we’re got wind of the long-rumored prequel series, three movies and a hit musical later.

Legally Blonde first hit screens in 2001, with Reese Witherspoon playing the iconic sorority girl turned star law student—it was a smash success at the box office. There was its less popular 2003 sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde, and a direct-to-video third movie in 2009 that focused on the story of Elle’s cousins. (Reese Witherspoon produced the movie, but did not appear in it). The 2007 Broadway show, based on the first movie, has received a slew of Tony noms and international revivals.

The forthcoming TV series, coming to Amazon Prime Video, has already been renewed for a second season. (“What, like it’s hard?”)

Here’s everything you need to know about the Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle.

Photo: © MGM/courtesy Everett Collection

What is Elle about?

According to the official synopsis via Amazon, the show “follows Elle Woods in high school as we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love in the first Legally Blonde film.”

“25 years after the world met Elle Woods for the first time, it’s a dream come true to share the story of how she became the unstoppable force we all fell in love with,” said Witherspoon, reported by Variety. “I think our series’s themes of kindness, authenticity, and believing in yourself will resonate deeply with fans of the original films and new audiences alike. Working with our incredible Hello Sunshine team, Amazon, and our visionary writers and directors to bring Elle’s high school journey to life has been a tremendous joy. I can’t wait to share season one with the world and start rolling cameras on season two!”

“Elle captures the heart, confidence, and optimism that made Elle Woods an enduring cultural icon, while giving audiences a fresh and deeply personal coming-of-age story,” said Peter Friedlander, the global head of television for Amazon MGM Studios. “Ordering a second season speaks to our belief in the creative vision and the incredible team behind the series, and we’re excited for audiences to experience Elle’s journey starting with Season One.”

Who’s in the Elle cast?

Newcomer Lexi Minetree (who has acting credits for Law and Order: SVU) takes on the role of Elle Woods—an announcement image posted to Instagram reflects the striking resemblance between Minetree and Witherspoon, with her blonde hair set in a ’90s/early ’00s half-up half-down ’do, fluffy pink pen close to hand. The rest of the cast includes June Diane Raphael as Elle’s mother Eva and Tom Everett Scott as her father Wyatt, Gabrielle Policano, Jacob Moskovitz, Chandler Kinney, and Zac Looker. Other recurring cast members include Jessica Belkin, Logan Shroyer, Amy Pietz, Matt Ober, Chloe Wepper, David Burtka, Brad Harder, Kayla Maisonet, Lisa Yamada, and James Van Der Beek.