Elle (TV series)
| Elle | |
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| Genre | Comedy |
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| Based on | Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Amazon Prime Video |
Elle is an upcoming American comedy television series created by Laura Kittrell and Caroline Dries, serving as a prequel to the Legally Blonde franchise. The series explores the high school years of Elle Woods, the character originally portrayed by Reese Witherspoon. Produced by Witherspoon's company, Hello Sunshine, the show aims to depict the formative experiences that shaped Elle into the confident and determined young woman featured in the films.
The series is helmed by showrunner Laura Kittrell, known for her work on High School and Insecure. Actress Lexi Minetree has been cast as the young Elle Woods. Inspired by the success of other coming-of-age series, Witherspoon sought to bring a new perspective to Elle's early life. Production began in April 2025, with an anticipated release later that year on Amazon Prime Video.
Premise
[edit]Elle serves as a prequel to Legally Blonde, exploring Elle Woods’ teenage years in the 1990s. The series follows Elle as a high school student, long before she became the ambitious Harvard law student known from the films. It delves into her early experiences with love, friendships, and personal growth, shaping the determined and confident young woman portrayed in the original franchise.[1]
The story highlights Elle's signature blend of charm, intelligence, and resilience as she navigates adolescence. While she is not yet the polished young woman who takes Harvard by storm, the series aims to showcase how her personality, wit, and strong moral compass began to develop. Through various challenges, Elle will explore her journey of self-discovery and empowerment.[2]
The series is expected to capture the humor, optimism, and life lessons that made Legally Blonde popular, while offering a new perspective on Elle's formative years.[3]
Cast
[edit]- Lexi Minetree as Elle Woods
- June Diane Raphael as Eva Woods
- Tom Everett Scott as Wyatt Woods
- Chandler Kinney as Kimberly
- Jacob Moskovitz as Miles
- Gabrielle Policano as Liz
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]In April 2023, it was announced that after acquiring MGM, Amazon had plans to expand the Legally Blonde franchise with a television series in development.[4]
On May 14, 2024, Amazon Prime Video announced a new upcoming 2025 prequel series, Elle.[5][6][7] In a statement, Reese Witherspoon, who hosted the announcement, 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."[5]
In January 2025, Witherspoon said in an interview that she was inspired to create the spinoff series after watching Netflix's Wednesday series starring Jenna Ortega. "I saw that Wednesday Addams show and I was like, 'Oh, she was in high school.' I loved it. I watched every episode. I thought it was amazing," Witherspoon said. "And I was like, 'We should do Elle Woods in high school because I wanted to see who she was before college, before law school. And I started having all these ideas and these amazing writers came up with a great pitch and now Amazon is making the show and it's called Elle."[8]
Casting
[edit]In February 2025, actress Lexi Minetree was cast as Elle Woods, a role originally portrayed by Witherspoon in the 2001 and 2003 films. Minetree had been among the finalists during the casting process for the new series.[9]
In March, June Diane Raphael and Tom Everett Scott were cast as Elle's parents, Eva and Wyatt. In that same month Chandler Kinney, Gabrielle Policano and Jacob Moskovitz joined the cast as Kimberly, Liz, and Miles.[10][11][12]
Filming
[edit]Principal photography began on April 2, 2025.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ Delgado, Sara (2024-05-16). "'Legally Blonde' Prequel Casts Lexi Minetree as Young Elle Woods". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ Admin (2025-02-21). "Amazon's new series explores a young Elle Woods | The Southern Newspaper". Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ "Reese Witherspoon Shares Emotional Moment When She Told New Elle Woods She Got the Part". InStyle. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie; White, Peter (April 14, 2023). "'Robocop,' 'Stargate', 'Legally Blonde' & 'Barbershop' Among Titles In Works For Film & TV As Amazon Looks To Supercharge MGM IP". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- ^ a b "'Legally Blonde' is Getting a Prequel Series, 'Elle,' And Here's Everything You Need to Know About It". Cosmopolitan. 2024-05-14. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
- ^ Morrow, Brendan. "Elle Woods goes to high school in Reese Witherspoon-produced 'Legally Blonde' prequel". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
- ^ Yandoli, Krystie Lee (2024-05-14). "'Legally Blonde' Prequel Series Set About Elle Woods' High School Years". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
- ^ Thomas, Carly (2025-01-30). "Reese Witherspoon Is Currently Watching Audition Tapes for Teen Elle Woods for 'Legally Blonde' Prequel Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (2025-02-13). "'Legally Blonde' Prequel Casts Lexi Minetree As Elle Woods". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 11, 2025). "'Legally Blonde' Prequel Series Casts June Diane Raphael As Elle's Mom". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (March 24, 2025). "'Legally Blonde' Prequel Series Casts Tom Everett Scott As Elle's Dad". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (March 27, 2025). "Chandler Kinney, Gabrielle Policano & Jacob Moskovitz Join 'Legally Blonde' Prequel Series". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Hailu, Selome (April 2, 2025). "'Legally Blonde' Prequel Series First Look: Lexi Minetree Makes Her Elle Woods Debut". Variety.