Prime Video has officially ordered a prequel series set before Legally Blonde titled Elle. Amazon announced the new project on Tuesday at its first ever upfront presentation, according to a report by Deadline. Reese Witherspoon is executive producing the show for her company, Hello Sunshine.
Elle will focus on Elle Woods in high school, but so far the role has not been cast. The show will be about the experiences and adventures that shaped her into the heroine Witherspoon played in the original 2001 movie. This prequel is created by writer and producer Laura Kitrell, who is best known for her work on Insecure and High School, among other productions. Prime Video actually has another Legally Blonde spinoff series in development, but this was the first to be greenlit.
Witherspoon gave an enthusiastic endorsement to Elle on Tuesday. She said: "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. 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!"
Amazon MGM Studios executive Vernon Sanders added: "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. Reese and Hello Sunshine's vision for this series, coupled with Laura Kittrell's winning voice, made this show completely undeniable."
Legally Blonde is about a stereotypical sorority girl who is heartbroken when her ambitious boyfriend breaks up with her before leaving for law school. To prove that she is serious, she wins admission to the school as well and follows him there, studying law without compromising her personality.
Legally Blonde got a sequel in 2003 and a direct-to-video follow-up in 2009, and there have been other attempts to expand the franchise since then. According to Deadline, Legally Blonde 3 is still in development with writers Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor attached. With this announcement, it sounds like Elle might be the next title to hit the screen.
Elle is in development now but there's no telling when it might premiere. In the meantime, Legally Blonde is streaming now on Max.