As Amazon’s ‘Legally Blonde’ series finds its Elle Woods, Mindy Kaling pours a spot of threequel tea

Calling all Legally Blonde fans: it’s almost time to get to know a teenage Elle Woods before she gets accepted to Harvard Law School and learns the art of the bend and snap.

Variety reported that Lexi Minetree will play Elle in the Amazon Prime Video prequel series Elle, which has been in the works since 2024. As Variety noted, some of her credits include an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the 2023 TV movie The Paramedic Who Stalked Me. I bet Elle would solve those cases, no problem.

But wait, there’s more good Legally Blonde news! After calling it “exciting” to learn that Minetree was cast in Elle, Mindy Kaling talked about Legally Blonde 3, which she’s writing along with Dan Goor. She said, “We wrote a draft that we think is really funny and great, you know, for Reese. And we’ll see.” She added, “I’m just like a writer for hire on like my most favorite franchise… I don’t have a lot of answers. I wish I did.”

So, although Legally Blonde 3 has no release date, at least fans can breathe a sigh of relief that it’s coming at some point. It’s almost too much to handle thinking about these two Legally Blonde projects being out in the universe. Unlike sequels that delve into a part of a fictional world that no one cares about, both the prequel series and third movie sound like they should exist. Elle is what is sure to be a funny and smart origin story, and Legally Blonde 3 is about a 40-year-old Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon). Kaling told Access Hollywood, “when Reese asked me to write it I was like, ‘Absolutely!'” because she’s such a fan. And she reassured everyone that the bend and snap and other nostalgic references will be included.

I was 11 years old (almost 12) when Legally Blonde was released in July 2001, and I was immediately drawn to the sweet, funny, and very pink story of a young woman getting revenge on her ex-boyfriend by attending Harvard Law. Of course, she discovers her passion for the law and realizes she can ditch the guy. At first glance, it might seem like a silly film, but it’s inspiring to see Elle prove everyone wrong. She’s smarter than others think she is, and she never stops believing in herself. That’s a powerful message whether you’re a pre-teen, teen, or in your 30s. Sure, part of me wanted to grow up and be the stylish Elle, but I also appreciated seeing a character find success on her own terms.

Let’s also have a moment of silence for the 2003 sequel Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, which wasn’t the franchise’s finest moment. Alright, moving on. I’m excited to see what an adolescent Elle is like, and hope she has some big moments of standing up to a mean teacher or a friend who betrayed her. I’m equally thrilled at the chance to see Elle as an adult, and to watch Witherspoon reprise one of her most beloved roles. In the decades since Legally Blonde came out, Witherspoon has shown her range, most notably as complicated moms on Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere. I can’t wait to see her play this sparkly, pink, and wonderful character again.