Legally Blonde prequel series Elle casts new actors for major roles

The Legally Blonde franchise is growing with a prequel series called Elle, which will trace the adolescence of Elle Woods before her legendary quest to Harvard Law School. Created by Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine and coming to Amazon Prime Video, the series hopes to uncover the early experiences that forged Elle's personality, sense of humor, and resolve.

With new cast members joining, such as Chandler Kinney, Gabrielle Policano, Jacob Moskovitz, and Lexi Minetree playing young Elle Woods, the series is expected to bring new insights into the early life of the iconic character.

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The cast of Elle

Elle's casting features both new and well-known faces:

Lexi Minetree plays Elle Woods in the younger role of the character who was initially played by Reese Witherspoon. Minetree was cast after a lengthy audition process, and Witherspoon was reportedly thrilled with the fact that Minetree reminds her of Elle's personality and spirit.

June Diane Raphael and Tom Everett Scott will play Wyatt and Eva Woods, Elle's parents. The actors' casting is set to provide insight into Elle's home life and childhood. Chandler Kinney plays the role of Kimberly, a senior who is wise but doesn't like Elle.

Gabrielle Policano will be playing the role of Liz, whose contrast with Elle will be vivid. Jacob Moskovitz plays the role of Miles, a sportsman who becomes a fan of Elle during her teenage years. These are the characters that are supposed to add substance to Elle's life by viewing her relationships and interactions during her teenage years.

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Elle's Production and Creative Team

The show is created by Laura Kittrell, who has worked on High School and Insecure. Reese Witherspoon is executive producer with Lauren Neustadter and Marc Platt. Jason Moore, director of Pitch Perfect, will helm the first two episodes.

Drawing inspiration from hit coming-of-age shows such as Netflix's Wednesday, Witherspoon had the idea for Elle as a means of discovering who Elle Woods was before college and law school. Production on the series commences in March 2025, with a hoped-for release later this year on Amazon Prime Video.

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Storyline Overview

Elle whisks audiences back to the 1990s to follow Elle Woods through her high school days before she was the drive-to-succeed Harvard law student that audiences know from the original movies. The series' official logline heralds the show as being about:

"The life experiences that shaped [Elle] into the iconic young woman we came to know and love in Legally Blonde."

The series will also feature how Elle deals with friendships, first loves, school issues, and self-discovery as a teenager. It will seek to depict her trademark charm, brains, toughness, and hopefulness—attributes that would characterize her success at Harvard Law School.

Viewers can also expect to catch glimpses of familiar moments from her past life alluded to in earlier movies, like mastering the "bend and snap" dance move from her mom.

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Connection to the Original Franchise

The prequel series links directly to the original Legally Blonde films by exploring how Elle cultivated her special character and moral compass. Where the original movies centered on Elle's passage through Harvard Law School and her transformation into a self-assured attorney, Elle desires to give background to how she ended up being such an individual.

Reese Witherspoon has declared that viewers will get to witness how Elle survived adolescent life:

"..with her unique personality and resourcefulness".

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Anticipated Release

Although no specific release date has been announced yet, Elle is expected to debut on Amazon Prime Video later in 2025. The series has generated significant buzz among fans of the franchise who are eager to see a fresh take on Elle Woods’ story.

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The Legally Blonde prequel series Elle will provide an interesting look at Elle Woods' high school years. With Lexi Minetree taking on the role of young Elle and joined by a great cast of June Diane Raphael, Tom Everett Scott, Chandler Kinney, Gabrielle Policano, and Jacob Moskovitz, fans can look forward to a more in-depth look at her early life.