Elle Woods to return in Reese Witherspoon-produced 'Legally Blonde' prequel on Amazon

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Elle Woods is headed to Prime Video.

The streamer on Tuesday announced it has ordered a "Legally Blonde" prequel series titled "Elle," which Reese Witherspoon's media company Hello Sunshine is set to produce.

The show will follow Elle Woods, Witherspoon's character from the 2001 comedy, 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 original movie, Prime Video said.

Reese Witherspoon is seen on stage as Amazon debuts "Elle" at its inaugural upfront presentation on May 14, 2024, in New York City.
Reese Witherspoon is seen on stage as Amazon debuts "Elle" at its inaugural upfront presentation on May 14, 2024, in New York City.

"Before she became the most famous Gemini vegetarian to graduate from Harvard Law School, she was just a regular '90s high school girl," Witherspoon, who wore all pink and held a Chihuahua, said on stage Tuesday at Prime Video's upfront presentation.

In a statement, Witherspoon said that viewers "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." Vernon Sanders, head of television for Amazon MGM Studios, described Elle Woods as "one of the most quotable, iconic, and beloved characters that is ingrained in the fabric of Hollywood history."

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Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde."
Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde."

Laura Kittrell ("Insecure") is the creator and showrunner for "Elle" with Witherspoon serving as an executive producer.

No casting for the young version of Elle Woods has been announced. In the original movie, based on the novel of the same name, Witherspoon played a sorority girl who goes to Harvard Law School to win her boyfriend back. The film grossed over $140 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

In 2003, Witherspoon reprised the role in "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde," which also grossed over $100 million at the box office. A spinoff, "Legally Blondes," was released in 2009 but did not star Witherspoon, and a "Legally Blonde" stage musical opened in 2007.

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In recent years, Witherspoon has expressed a desire to return in a third "Legally Blonde" film. "Legally Blonde 3" was even announced in 2018 for a planned 2020 release that never happened.

"I'm still hoping that 'Legally Blonde 3' is gonna come together in the right way," Witherspoon told USA TODAY in 2022. "It's just like 'Top Gun': They waited a long time to make another version of that movie, and I loved the nostalgia piece they incorporated in it. So definitely that gave us a lot of inspiration about what we would want to do with Elle Woods and make sure that we had all those same touchstones that mattered to people (back) then."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Legally Blonde' prequel 'Elle' set with Reese Witherspoon producing