While everyone was busy daydreaming about Legally Blonde 3, Reese Witherspoon flipped it and reversed it to give us a Legally Blonde prequel, officially named Elle.
Back in April 2024, Deadline reported that not one but two Legally Blonde spinoff series were in development at Amazon MGM Studios—which, in case you need a reminder, brought us Red, White & Royal Blue, as well as The Idea of You—and one of them has finally reached its final form in Elle. And buckle up, because not only are we getting season 1 soon, but season 2 is also already confirmed!
Produced by Reese Witherspoon herself under her Hello Sunshine company alongside Laura Kittrell and Caroline Dries, Elle, also created by Kittrell, follows events that precede the original 2001 movie. Legally Blonde movie franchise producer Marc Platt is also attached to the project as an executive producer alongside Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter, Jason Moore, and Amanda Brown.
Below, find out everything we know so far about the Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle, from its formal announcement to its release date, cast, and more. It's time to get your pink on!
When was Elle, the Legally Blonde prequel series, announced?
Reese Witherspoon herself announced Elle during the Amazon Upfront presentation on May 14, 2024. Witherspoon, wearing a pink two-piece à la Elle Woods and accompanied by a pet chihuahua to represent Bruiser Woods, took over the stage at the event to present Elle, going as far as recreating her character's infamous “bend and snap” move. Witherspoon is involved in Elle as an executive producer.
When and where will Elle premiere?
Elle will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on July 1, 2026, to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the release of the first movie. The show will be available in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
What is Elle about?
During the 2024 Amazon Upfront presentation, it was already revealed that Elle will be a Legally Blonde prequel series centering on the life of teenager Elle Woods before the events of the first movie. More specifically, Elle will follow Elle Woods in high school.
“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,” Witherspoon wrote about the Elle plot on her Instagram after the series’ official announcement.
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Per Variety, the official logline is "Elle follows Elle Woods 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 first Legally Blonde film.”
In a press email from September 2024, we actually got a bit more intel about the storyline: “A driven, natural-born leader who will always stop to straighten another woman’s crown, Elle’s magnetic personality brightens the world with confidence, vulnerability, and an earnestness that charms everyone around her. Coming of age in the '90s, Elle will encounter her first love and her first heartbreak, and she will find her moral convictions.”
Who plays Elle Woods in Elle?
Newcomer Lexi Minetree has officially been cast as young Elle Woods in the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle, following an open casting call. Witherspoon herself broke the news in early 2025 with a video posted to Instagram where she tells Minetree she has landed the job, which you can watch below:
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Minetree has appeared in Law and Order: SVU and The Murdaugh Murders, among other things. Just days before her official casting announcement, Deadline reported that both Minetree and Madison Wolfe had tested for the role of young Elle Woods, and though “no decision has been made yet, one is expected soon.” And, well, soon meant literally a day later.
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After the casting news broke, Minetree took to her own Instagram to share her feelings. “My brain is going nuts over here, I don’t even know where to BEGIN,” she wrote. “Thank you to my family, friends, and reps who believe in me and my silly lil dreams. Thank you to [Amazon MGM Studios], [Hello Sunshine], and everyone involved with this project for trusting me with this iconic role. Thank you to David and Matt for running such a kind and supportive casting room. Thank you [Jason Moore] for directing me so well [that] they decided to cast me, HA! I am so soooo insanely happy to continue working alongside you! And thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to [Reese Witherspoon] for handing me down Elle Woods. I already love her so so much, I promise she’s in good hands. P.S. Thank you for showing me how amazing I am going to look in the future, soooo looking forward to that. OH, and lastly, thank you to the hairdresser who made me blonde in May when I had a random whim to change my hair (as I often do once a year)…. I owe you big time!! Don’t worry, Amazon, I won’t be changing from blonde ANYTIME soon!"
On January 29, 2025, Witherspoon spoke to People about the casting process and revealed that casting a younger version of herself was “kind of a trip.” She added: “It's so exciting too, to watch these young girls that are so filled with enthusiasm and excitement and completely... There [are] so many good ones. That's the hard thing because there's so many good people to choose from."
“Discovering Lexi Minetree and watching her step into Elle’s fabulous shoes has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my career," Reese Witherspoon said in January 2026 via a press email. “I think our series’ themes of kindness, authenticity, and believing in yourself will resonate deeply with fans of the original films and new audiences alike.”
Who else is in the cast of Elle?
The first two cast members to be announced after Lexi Minetree were June Diane Raphael and Tom Everett Scott. The two actors will play Elle's parents.
Joining the cast as a series regular, Tom Everett Scott, who is best known for his portrayal of Adam Fisher on The Summer I Turned Pretty, will portray Elle’s dad, Wyatt. June Diane Raphael, on the other hand, will portray Elle’s mom Eva.
Chandler Kinney, Gabrielle Policano, and Jacob Moskovitz have also joined the show as series regulars. According to a report by Deadline, Kinney, known for her work on Pretty Little Liars: Summer School and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, will portray Kimberly, who's described as “a sharp-tongued senior who is not a fan of the show’s titular character.” Moskovitz will be Miles, a.k.a. “the school’s star athlete who is charmed by Elle.”
Last but not least, Policano, who recently had a supporting role in A24's Babygirl, will take on the role of Liz, who's simply described as the “anti-Elle Woods.”
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Rounding off the core cast is Zac Looker as Dustin, who is described as “Elle’s classmate and sparring partner who cares about social justice and isn’t afraid to challenge authority.”
Recurring stars include Jessica Belkin as Elle’s best friend, Madison, and Logan Shroyer as Madison’s cousin and Elle’s crush, Josh, as well as Danielle Chand as Shannon, Matt Oberg as Principal Anderson, James Van Der Beek as Dean Wilson, and Amy Pietz as Donna. Additional cast members also include Chloe Wepper, David Burtka, Brad Harder, Kayla Maisonet, and Lisa Yamada.
New faces will also be joining the cast later down the line, with Teen Vogue August 2021 cover star and Never Have I Ever alum Maitreyi Ramakrishnan confirmed to join the cast for the already-confirmed second season.
According to Variety, Ramakrishnan will portray a character named Sam during season 2, who will be somewhat of an antagonist. Sam is described as “Elle's foil—possessing all our hero's ambition and none of her optimism. She's the founder, editor-in-chief, and lord baron of the school newspaper, the commissioner of the grammar police, and the enemy of joy. If Cosmo is Elle's bible, The AP Stylebook is Sam's holy grail.”
Do we have a first-look at Elle?
Hello Sunshine revealed the first look at Lexi Minetree as young Elle Woods on April 2, 2025. In the picture, which you can see below, we see the titular blonde, with an impeccable French mani, speaking on a see-through landline phone (the '90s are so back) with a pink cord. The rest of the set is, of course, pink as well. Elle wears a pink zip-up hoodie and lies on her bed, which is covered with pink satin sheets. Hello Sunshine unveiled the first picture from the project to announce that production on the show had officially started.
On the other hand, to announce that production on the show had officially wrapped, Hello Sunshine posted a video of the cast members in character, giving us another peek at Elle, as well as a first look at Wyatt and Eva Woods, school staff, and most supporting characters. You can see the video below:
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Since then, we've also gotten another picture of Minetree in character, this time in a high school setting, also donning an all-pink ‘fit complete with a pink notebook and Elle’s infamous pink fluffy pen. You can see the pic below:
Is Elle season 2 confirmed?
Yes! On January 21, 2026, Hello Sunshine and Amazon MGM Studios officially announced that Elle season 2 was confirmed and is already in production.
"Working with our incredible Hello Sunshine team, Amazon, and our visionary writers and directors to bring Elle's high school journey to life has been a tremendous joy. I can’t wait to share season 1 with the world and start rolling cameras on season 2!” Witherspoon said when news broke.
“Elle captures the heart, confidence, and optimism that made Elle Woods an enduring cultural icon, while giving audiences a fresh and deeply personal coming-of-age story,” Peter Friedlander, global head of TV at Amazon MGM Studios, added. “Ordering a second season speaks to our belief in the creative vision and the incredible team behind the series, and we’re excited for audiences to experience Elle’s journey starting with season 1.”
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This post will continue to be updated as news about Elle, the Legally Blonde prequel series, breaks.
