Joseph Stanziani
Staff Writer
“What, like it’s hard?” The infamous blonde lawyer in pink, who got into Harvard to prove a man wrong, makes her triumphant return after first dazzling the world 20 years ago in “Legally Blonde.” From Amazon Prime, comes a new prequel series exploring how Elle Woods became the woman the world knows today in a show “Elle.”
In a synopsis by IMDb, they state the show “Follows Elle Woods’ journey through high school, exploring the formative experiences that mold her into the iconic, confident character we meet in the “Legally Blonde” film.” This show, created by showrunner Laura Kittrell, will serve as the fourth installment in the “Legally Blonde” franchise.
The first “Legally Blonde” movie was released in 2001, which became an instant classic, grossing over $140 million at the global box office. Later in 2003, a sequel “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde” was released, followed by a straight-to-video film “Legally Blondes,” which Reese Witherspoon produced. The impact these movies have on a wide spectrum cannot be understated with the success of the “Legally Blonde” franchise.
“I thought it was really inspiring,” freshman Kiyra Ferguson said. “If you look at her she’s wasn’t lawyer material. But she was able to focus and acquire a degree. This character is just really cool because it shows how Elle was dedicated to pushing herself and how she was able to achieve whatever she put her mind to.”
Deadline reported that there have been two “Legally Blonde” shows in the works at Amazon MGM Studios in partnership with Witherspoon’s company Hello Sunshine. Witherspoon spoke to Deadline about her excitement about her new upcoming series and other projects.
“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,” Witherspoon said. “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.”
Furthermore, Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM studio, commented on the privilege of creating such a show.
“One of the most quotable, iconic, and beloved characters that is ingrained in the fabric of Hollywood history has to be Elle Woods, and we are honored to bring her origin story to our global Prime Video customers,” Sanders said.
On Sept. 25, Witherspoon posted a video on Instagram with an official casting announcement for her series Elle, calling on all to audition for the fabulous blonde lawyer.
“Our search for the high school version of Elle Woods is officially ON!” Witherspoon wrote in the post. “With our friends Prime Video we’re making the casting process totally OPEN, so you can submit your auditions at the link in my bio. I’m SO excited to see all your fabulous takes on everyone’s favorite Gemini vegetarian!”
While no date yet is set for when the show will be released, the anticipation to see everyone’s favorite blonde lawyer in her high school years is evident. The question remains now on whether Amazon MGM Studios and Hello Sunshine can successfully pull off a “Legally Blonde” sequel, or will they fail to capture the essence of the original movie.
