Mindy Kaling Is Here to Make Reese Witherspoon's 'Legally Blonde 3' a Little Less White

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There have been whispers about it for years, but it’s finally coming true. Not only is Reese Witherspoon back on board for Legally Blonde 3, but they’ve tapped an unexpectedly brilliant choice to write it: Mindy Kaling, along with screenwriting partner Dan Goor. While Legally Blonde scribe Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith had previously agreed to write the third installment, production delays and a new vision from the top seem to have shifted their plans. Now, they’re planning a fresh take on Elle Woods’ adventures, with Witherspoon expressing she wants a more feminist and global vision of Legally Blonde than ever before. With Kaling on board, the vision of a diverse — or even just not all white — take on Legally Blonde seems more possible than ever. And it’s exactly what this beloved rom-com needs.

Deadline broke the news about Kaling coming on board the new project, which will also be produced by Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine. The outlet reports that the previous script, drafted by Smith and co-writer Karen McCullah, will no longer be involved in the new project: Kaling and Goor and starting over completely. Kaling herself, a rom-com aficionado who recently proved her chops in the genre with Netflix series Never Have I Ever, celebrated the news on Instagram and shared what she’s excited about with this project.

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“Finally some use for my Elle Woods fan fiction!” she joked. “Elle Woods is so iconic, proving you can be girly and smart at the same time. Bend and snap people!” It’s true. While certain aspects of the original Legally Blonde would raise an eyebrow now for its outdated stereotypes, Woods herself was always a bit of a pioneer, and we hope that Kaling can bring her to an even stronger place.

In December 2019, Witherspoon shared similar visions for the project with The Hollywood Reporter, describing the film like this: “So much fun. So full of fashion. So full of awesome feminist ideas. It will be global…that’s my hope and dream for Legally Blonde 3.”

In Legally Blonde 2, Elle Woods heads to Washington, D.C. — so really, who knows what she’ll tackle next? With Kaling on board (and what appears to be an Asian director, according in iMDb), we’re confident she’ll go way past the world of sorority girls and Ivy League grads. Elle Woods has conquered so many elite establishments already. Wouldn’t it be nice to see her take on something truly unknown?

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