Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 26

Reese Witherspoon Urges Lexi Minetree to Prioritize Self-Care on 15-Hour "Elle" Shoot Days

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 26

Reese Witherspoon Urges Lexi Minetree to Prioritize Self-Care on 15-Hour "Elle" Shoot Days

Q: With a prequel and sequel in the works, is Amazon building an entire 'Legally Blonde' cinematic universe?

Yes. Amazon is clearly expanding “Legally Blonde” into a broader franchise, even if it has not formally branded it a “cinematic universe.” The strongest evidence is Prime Video’s new prequel series “Elle,” which follows Elle Woods in high school and premieres July 1. Amazon MGM Studios is producing it with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, and the show has already been renewed for a second season before its debut. That signals a long-term investment rather than a one-off nostalgia project. At the same time, “Legally Blonde 3” remains in development, with Witherspoon still attached and Jennifer Coolidge expected to return. That means the franchise is being expanded in two directions at once: backward through a streaming origin story and forward through a legacy sequel. Witherspoon’s role ties the projects together. She is executive producing “Elle,” publicly endorsing Lexi Minetree as the new young Elle, and remains central to the planned third film. That kind of creative continuity is how studios typically build connected franchise worlds. What is less clear is whether Amazon controls the entire screen future of “Legally Blonde,” since the available reporting does not definitively say Amazon is distributing the third film. So the safer reading is that Amazon is building a substantial “Legally Blonde” screen universe on Prime Video, while the wider franchise is also being expanded through a separate sequel film still in development.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 26

Lexi Minetree said Reese Witherspoon’s key guidance for playing young Elle Woods was not about performance but about protecting her mental, spiritual and physical health during long production days.
15-hour shoots pushed that advice into practical basics — water, sleep and daily self-care — as Minetree said she is trying to get seven hours of rest while adjusting to Hollywood pressure.
Minetree said taking over a character who inspired generations leaves her swinging between confidence and panic, as she tries to honor Elle Woods for longtime fans while keeping the role fun.
"Elle" premieres July 1 on Prime Video, with Witherspoon serving as executive producer and publicly backing the handoff at this week’s New York premiere.
The prequel also carries added poignancy because co-stars Tom Everett Scott and June Diane Raphael recalled working with James Van Der Beek, who died in February at 48 after colorectal cancer.