6 facts about Elle, the Legally Blonde prequel
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the cult classic, Legally Blonde. The 2001 box office hit has since inspired a sequel and multiple musical adaptations, but fans have more to anticipate this year. Set in the same universe, the prequel, Elle is set to depict the iconic Elle Woods’ backstory before entering law school. The television series will narrate the high school experiences that shaped her into the beloved bubbly character.
Here are 6 fun facts to gear you up for the series launching on Amazon Prime in late 2025!
1. Elle is a feminist icon
Based on Amanda Brown’s novel of the same name, Legally Blonde starred Reese Witherspoon as Elle, a ditsy sorority sister who attempts to win her boyfriend, Warner, back. Determined to prove her ambitions after he breaks up with her for not being “serious” enough, Elle gets accepted into Harvard Law School along with him, doing so with her iconic phrase, “What? Like it’s hard?”.
However, she soon realises that Warner is unable to recognise her worth. Elle then embarks on a journey of growth and self-love as she navigates school while overcoming stereotypical conceptions about blondes, eventually going on to become a successful lawyer.
The film quickly garnered a cult following for its comedic, yet inspiring nature. Always seen with her chihuahua in the crook of her arm, Elle is characterised by her love for fashion and bright pink outfits. But there is so much more to her than the airhead she appears to be. Elle is empathetic, strong-willed, and extremely intelligent. The audience is taught not to judge a book by its cover while young girls learn that they can be unapologetically feminine and smart at the same time.
2. The show follows Elle during her high school years
Elle was first announced during the Amazon Upfront presentation on May 14, 2024. Donning a pink two-piece and accompanied by a pet chihuahua, Reese introduced the prequel as its executive producer, even recreating her character’s “bend and snap” move, igniting a peal of laughter.
After the series was officially announced, Reese went to Instagram to share the prequel’s storyline with fans. “Before she became the most famous Gemini vegetarian to graduate from Harvard Law, she was just a regular ‘90s high school girl. And all of you are going to get to know her.”
Elle will also depict the character’s first love and first heartbreak, among other stepping stones in her life.
3. Elle is the third on-screen feature for Elle Woods
Following the massive success of the first movie, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde was released in 2003. Reese herself went on to become a producer on the 2009 spinoff film, Legally Blondes, which initially served as a pilot for a potential series. Legally Blonde 3 is also reportedly in the works.
Produced by Reese under her Hello Sunshine company, Elle is written by the masterminds behind Gossip Girl, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. The movie franchise producer for Legally Blonde, Marc Platt, is also working on the project.
4. It was inspired by Wednesday
Legally Blonde and Wednesday are two shows that I never thought I’d consider in the same sentence. Interestingly enough, in an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Reese explained that she was inspired to produce the prequel while watching Netflix’s Wednesday.
“I loved it. I watched every episode, I thought it was amazing,” she gushed. “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.”
5. The new Elle has been revealed
The search for young Elle Woods began on 25 September 2024, when Prime and Hello Sunshine came together to announce a global casting call. Interested candidates could apply for the role on findingelle.com, with the casting concluding exactly a month later on 25 October 2024.
On 13 February 2025, Reese took to Instagram to announce Lexi Minetree as young Elle Woods. She posted a video where she excitedly broke the news to Lexi, who reacted as enthusiastically in return. In a heartwarming moment, they called Lexi’s mom to share the good news.
“Allow me to introduce you to the new Elle Woods! 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”
Among other works, Lexi had previously appeared on Law and Order: SVU and The Murdaugh Murders. Elle will be her first lead role. After the news broke, Lexi took to her own Instagram to express her gratitude, stating: “My brain is going nuts over here I don’t even know where to BEGIN”, and “THANK YOU to @reesewitherspoon for handing me down Elle Woods. I already love her so so much, I promise she’s in good hands”.
6. Other characters may or may not return
As of now, it is hard to say for certain if the other characters from Legally Blonde will appear in the prequel. However, fans can still hope that young Elle might come across the younger versions of her love interest Emmett, and best friend Paulette. It would definitely be the cherry on top if Reese appears as a cameo in a flash-forward scene or as a different character.
What you need to know about Elle
A cult classic, Legally Blonde is set to return with its highly-anticipated prequel. Get ready to see the world through Elle’s pink-tinted lenses as she navigates high school, hopefully with Bruiser, her beloved chihuahua. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see more of her bubbly and magnetic personality!
Sign up for an Amazon Prime membership to watch Elle and enjoy exclusive perks like free & fast delivery on your online shopping, Amazon Fresh deals, and free international shipping—all for just $4.99/month or $49.90/year. Plus, enjoy a 30-day free trial to get started!
Also read:
