Open casting begins for ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel ‘Elle’
Actress Reese Witherspoon announces to followers on Instagram to submit auditions through her bio.
By Hannah Woods
Reese Witherspoon posted an open cast call on her Instagram for a young Elle Woods on Wednesday. The prequel to “Legally Blonde” will be a television show called “Elle,” featuring Woods in high school.
“I’m SO excited to see all your fabulous takes on everyone’s favorite Gemini vegetarian,” Witherspoon said in the caption of her post.
The media company Hello Sunshine, founded by Witherspoon and a part of Candle Media, is producing the prequel with Amazon MGM Studios. Witherspoon will serve as an executive producer bringing Elle Woods to life once again.
“Legally Blonde” premiered in 2001 starring Witherspoon as Elle Woods. In the movie, with style and confidence, Elle Woods attends Harvard Law School in order to win back her college boyfriend Warner, played by actor Matthew Davis. Ultimately Woods recognizes her potential as a lawyer and learns to love elsewhere, proving many critics wrong about her character. The film is originally based on the novel “Legally Blonde” by Amanda Brown, a true life story on her journey through Stanford Law School.
The first movie grossed over $140 million at the global box office according to Variety. There was a sequel released in 2003 along with a spin-off released from the franchise in 2009. On Broadway the musical adaptation made its debut in 2007.
Prior to her acceptance into Harvard, “Fans 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,” Witherspoon said in an official statement.
Amazon Prime Video ordered the series back in May. Creator Laura Kittrell will also be an executive producer and showrunner. Additional executive producers include Lauren Neustadter from Hello Sunshine, Lauren Kisilvesky and Marc Platt.
Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios, said the show is “undeniable” because of the vision from Witherspoon, her company and Kitrell’s voice. “One of the most quotable, iconic, and beloved characters that is ingrained in the fabric of Hollywood history has to be Elle Woods, and we are honored to bring her origin story to our global Prime Video customers,” Sanders added.
Audition videos are due no later than Oct. 25 with shoots starting around April to July 2025 in Vancouver, Canada. “Elle” is exclusively premiering worldwide on Amazon Prime.