Elle’s Connection To Legally Blonde Explained: Is Prequel Officially Canon?

Before she was “Legally Blonde,” she was just… “Elle.” 

Now streaming on Prime Video, the new prequel series introduces viewers to a 16-year-old version of Reese Witherspoon’s iconic character (now played by look-alike Lexi Minetree). The show’s initial announcement was met with skepticism from fans of the original 2001 movie, with many refusing to accept Elle’s new backstory as canon. Unfortunately for those fans, it’s Witherspoon’s opinion that matters — and she says this is exactly how it all happened.

“It was Reese’s idea to do a show about Elle Woods in high school, so she entrusted [co-showrunner Laura Kittrell] to create the pilot, and she has embraced what we’ve come up with,” co-showrunner Caroline Dries tells TVLine. “So I would say, yes, it’s officially canon now.”

In adapting teen Elle’s story for streaming, the show’s creative team had two challenges ahead of them: pay homage to everything fans already love about Elle’s story, but don’t undo any of the lore previously established in “Legally Blonde.”

“We were very aware of making sure everything tracked and also set up the movie perfectly,” Kittrell says. “There was never anything we wanted to do that fought what people love about the movie, tonally, or even from a story place.”

An early example of this comes in the show’s first episode when Elle meets Bruiser, the iconic rescue chihuahua who’s still by her side in “Legally Blonde.” Elle’s mom mentions that she found him near their neighbor Aaron Spelling’s house, which itself is a nod to one of Elle’s lines in the movie about growing up next door to the television pioneer.

Elle’s backstory takes a hard left when her father’s job forces their family to relocate from Bel-Air to Seattle, where Elle must navigate a socially foreign landscape. Less pink, more plaid. Less Madonna, more Nirvana. You get the idea. In a sea of alt rebels, Elle the odd girl out, and it’ll take everything she’s got to win over her new peers.

Here’s the part where you might be asking: Wait a minute, isn’t that eerily similar to the plot of “Legally Blonde,” only this time in Seattle instead of Boston? You’re not wrong, and the producers are well aware of this. What’s more important, they say, is how Elle’s early lessons shape her into the confident woman who effortlessly crushes those similar challenges in the future.

For example, Elle is invited to her first Seattle pool party in Episode 3, showing up in a bright pink bikini. Unfortunately, she soon discovers that “pool party” means something else entirely in Seattle; not only is she the only person in a bathing suit, but the pool has been drained for the purposes of skateboarding. Not only is this a nod to “Legally Blonde,” when Elle shows up to a supposed “costume party” dressed like a Playboy Bunny, but it’s also an experience that prepares Elle for that future challenge.

“In the movie, she shows up in the bunny costume and takes a moment to feel bad about herself, then immediately gathers herself and goes in with full confidence,” co-showrunner Laura Kittrell tells TVLine, noting that teenage Elle has a considerably more panicked reaction to the similar situation. “We talked a lot about how you get to that place when you’re her age, and we thought, well, you have to fall flat on your face one time and feel bad before you can get to be that confident person. … The pool party isn’t quite what she imagined, and she has a different reaction than she does in the movie.”

Not only was it Reese Witherspoon’s idea to explore her character’s teenage years, but the executive producer also handpicked Lexi Minetree to play Elle Woods, and she has maintained an active role throughout production of “Elle.”

“Honestly, she’s been so supportive throughout this entire process, which means so much because she is Elle Woods,” Minetree tells TVLine. “She’s what made this movie iconic for 25 years now, so the fact that I can text her or voice memo her at any point in the day and ask her for advice, either about the character or just life, is absolutely incredible.”

While Witherspoon has provided “so many nuggets of inspiration” for her portrayal of Elle, Minetree says the most helpful wisdom she’s imparted has to do with taking care of yourself as a person.

“When you film a TV show like this, it’s really crazy,” Minetree explains. “You’re on set for 15 hours a day, and you have to prep when you get home, and you have to dye your hair every three weeks, and all these things you don’t even really think about that just take up energy and time. So I’m not only lucky that I got to have her there as a mentor, but also these wonderful castmates here with me who I love very, very much.”

OK, let’s talk: What are your early thoughts on “Elle”? And how far into your Season 1 binge are you? Grade it in our poll below, then drop a comment with your full review.