Legally Blonde series 'Elle': Cast, plot and release date revealed
18 February 2025, 16:42
As Reese Witherspoon casts her leading lady, here's everything you need to know about the Legally Blonde prequel, Elle.
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Legally Blonde fans are in for a rhinestone-encrusted treat as Reese Witherspoon is reviving her iconic 00s character Elle Woods in a brand new series.
The Hollywood star announced she was stepping back from the bend and snap, casting a brand new face as the Harvard Law graduate, but that doesn't mean the sassy legal student will be any less mesmerising.
In early 2025, the A-lister revealed she had found the leading lady for her latest project – a prequel to the hit 2001 movie which takes a look at Elle's early life in high school.
From the cast and the plot to the much-awaited release date, here's everything we know about the Prime Video show, Elle.
Who has been cast in the Legally Blonde prequel Elle?
Reese Witherspoon might not be picking up her pink scented paper and fluffy pen for the prequel, but she has announced who will be taking over her crown.
Announcing the show's lead role with an emotional clip on Instagram, the Hollywood star revealed actress Lexi Minetree will replace her as Elle Woods in the series.
"Allow me to introduce you to the new Elle Woods," Reese captioned the clip.
"After watching so many incredible auditions for the new Elle prequel series on @PrimeVideo, we finally found our Elle. And today, I got to break the news myself! Meet @leximinetree."
Lexi, who previously starred in Law & Order: SVU and The Murdaugh Murders, opened up about her dream job as Elle, admitting she already loves Reese "so so much".
Insisting the legendary character was "in good hands", she cheekily added: "Don’t worry, Amazon, I won’t be changing from blonde ANYTIME soon!"
It's not clear if the 2001 and 2003 comedies, which starred Selma Blair, Luke Wilson, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge and Raquel Welch, will be bringing back any of the original cast – but we can hope.
What is Legally Blonde prequel Elle going to be about?
The bubbly blonde may have gone on to conquer law school in the hit 2001 film but the brand new series takes a look back at Elle Woods in her high school era.
Reese Witherspoon, who played the fashion-obsessed Harvard student in the original movie, said: "I truly couldn’t be more excited about this series!"
Explaining what fans can expect from the Prime Video show, she added: "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.
"What could be better than that? I’m extremely grateful to the incredible teams at Prime Video and Hello Sunshine — along with our amazing writer Laura Kittrell — for making this dream of mine come true. Legally Blonde is back!"
In January 2025, series producer Laura Kittrell told The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon she was inspired by hit Netflix show Wednesday, which charts the Addams' Family favourite's time through high-school.
Speaking of the hit horror, she said: "I loved it, I watched every episode, I thought it was amazing.
"I was like, ‘We should do Elle Woods in high school,’ because I wanted to see who she was before college, before law school, and I started having all these ideas, and these amazing writers came up with a great pitch and now Amazon is making the show and it’s called Elle."
When will Legally Blonde prequel Elle be released?
Hollywood rumours that Elle was in production began circling in April 2024.
According to People, the project was officially signed off by TV execs, with photography due to start in spring 2025.
"I'm really excited. We start in March,” Reese Witherspoon told the US magazine in January this year.
No details have been released about when the show will drop, but it seems fans won't have to wait too much longer now the wheels are in motion.
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