It’s been 25 years since Reese Witherspoon charmed viewers as Harvard law student Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde,” and Wednesday, July 1 marks the debut of a new TV series devoted to unwrapping her origin story.
In Prime Video’s “Elle,” newcomer Lexi Minetree portrays the teenage version of the beloved character, following her journey during the 1990s as she and her family relocate from sunny California to a new home in Seattle. It’s fair to say that Elle, with her signature pink wardrobe and sunny disposition, sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb amid a sea of frayed flannel and ear-splitting grunge music.
“Long before Harvard Law, Elle navigates a major family relocation from Bel-Air to Seattle while dealing with tricky friendships, forbidden romance and 1990s fashion,” states the streamer’s official synopsis.
She Watched ‘Legally Blonde’ ‘150 Times’ to Prepare for Her Role in ‘Elle’
Amazon MGM StudiosMinetree made her talk show debut with a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” where she made quite the splash by wearing the same pink dress that Witherspoon wore to the “Legally Blonde” premiere back in 2001.
When host Jimmy Fallon told her he’d heard that she’d watched “Legally Blonde” 100 times, she corrected him. “Oh, like 150,” she said. “Yeah, a lot of times. I think at one point I probably could have done a one-woman show of it.”
Watching the film so many times not only helped her nail all the nuances of Witherspoon’s performance, an unexpected bonus was that she also learned how to do a killer impression of “Legally Blonde” supporting actor Jennifer Coolidge. “Yeah, I could probably play her in a biopic too,” Minetree quipped.
Reese Witherspoon is a producer on ‘Elle’
The series comes from Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine production company, and she’s serving as producer on this massively anticipated prequel.
“Twenty-five years after the world met Elle Woods for the first time, it’s a dream come true to share the story of how she became the unstoppable force we all fell in love with,” said Reese Witherspoon in a statement.
Fans will see a different side of Elle Woods than they did in ‘Legally Blonde’
Amazon MGM StudiosAccording to Minetree, the super-confident young woman that filmgoers encountered in Legally Blonde is something of a work in progress in “Elle.”
“What’s cool about this show is that you get to see a side of Elle Woods that’s a little more insecure,” Minetree told Cosmopolitan. “In ‘Legally Blonde,’ there’s the iconic scene where she walks into the party in the bunny outfit and no one else is in costume. There’s a moment where you see her think, ‘Oh crap,’ but then she smiles and she owns it. It’s a small thing, but I always wondered where she got that confidence to just own it. In ‘Elle,’ you get to see where she learned to own who she is, even if she’s sticking out.”
That said, Minetree is thrilled to embody a character that oozes optimism and resilience from every pore. “She is someone who — no matter what, even if she fails — gets back up, dusts herself off, and keeps going,” she added.
Star Lexi Minetree was hand-picked by Reese Witherspoon
Minetree was cast in the role after a three-month nationwide search, with Witherspoon personally watching countless audition tapes before selecting Minetree for the role.
“Discovering Lexi Minetree and watching her step into Elle’s fabulous shoes has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my career,” Witherspoon continued.
As for the show’s tone, Witherspoon promised fans the original film that “Elle” will carry on the positivity and optimism that moviegoers have embraced for the past quarter-century.
“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,” Witherspoon added.
“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 One with the world and start rolling cameras on Season 2!”
