One of Reese Witherspoon's most iconic roles in her illustrious career has undoubtedly been Elle Woods of Legally Blonde. So, when news dropped nearly three years ago hinting at a TV show, I waited with baited breath. Turns out, the waiting paid off, because last year, Witherspoon cast newcomer Lexi Minetree to play the younger Elle in the Amazon Prime prequel series. There's now a release date: July 1, 2026. But that wasn't even the most exciting news Witherspoon had to share with the cast.
Reese Witherspoon Gets Emotional After New Show Is Renewed for Season 2 Before Season 1 Even Airs
What, like it's hard?
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Published Apr 1, 2026
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The Hello Sunshine media mogul hopped on a video call with the cast, including Minetree, Zac Looker (Dustin), Chandler Kinney (Kimberly) Jacob Moskovitz (Miles) and Gabrielle Policano (Liz).
"You all crushed season one of Elle. It is so good. It is so funny. It is so real," Witherspoon gushed. "Elle is premiering July 1 on Prime Video! I'm just really emotional because 25 years ago, Legally Blonde came out in July. So this will be the 25 year anniversary of Legally Blonde, and we get to have a new Elle Woods in the world."
After reminiscing, Witherspoon then shared some exciting news. Though we're still ways away from the season one premiere, season two has already been secured.
"I just got off the phone with everyone at Amazon," she said. "And they love the show so much, they ordered a season two."
The first season of Elle will follow Elle Woods as a high school student in the '90s. While on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Witherspoon revealed that she was inspired to develop the series after seeing the success of Wednesday.
Minetree was cast via an open casting call and is a relative newcomer to the industry. However, she has appeared on shows like Law & Order: SVU and The Murdaugh Murders. Like her predecessor, she, too, has Southern roots, hailing from Georgia. She graduated from the University of Southern California in 2024.
