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Elle Woods prequel series Elle gets first trailer

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Key Points
  • First trailer released May 6; series launches July 1, 2026
  • Lexi Minetree stars as Elle Woods; Reese Witherspoon executive produces
  • Some fans criticized trailer as cheap and questioned casting choices

Reese Witherspoon, who serves as executive producer, first announced the project on May 14, 2024. Lexi Minetree plays the role of Elle Woods, learning she landed the part face-to-face from Witherspoon. June Diane Raphael and Tom Everett Scott portray Elle's parents Eva and Wyatt, while James Van Der Beek appears in what would become his final on-screen performance. The series depicts Elle's relocation from Bel-Air to Seattle as a teenager in 1995, exploring her friendships, romance, and fashion choices, according to Prime Video's official description.

Some fans criticized the trailer as looking cheap and called the series a cash grab, with one X user writing, "Trailer looks cheap af. Pink outfits can't save bad casting and weak jokes." Others questioned why Reese Witherspoon's daughter Ava Phillippe was not cast as Elle, and some expressed frustration at the volume of sequels, remakes, and reboots. The series has already secured a second season before its debut, though plot details for the second season remain unknown.

You 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.

Reese Witherspoon, Executive Producer

Trailer looks cheap af. Pink outfits can't save bad casting and weak jokes. Why ruin Legally Blonde by making young Elle a basic teen? The original movie was lightning in a bottle; this is just cash grab garbage.

X user, Fan

Cheap-looking lighting, seems like a low-budget commercial.

X user, Fan

This doesn't look dated properly. She looks great, but the costuming, outfits, and makeup make this seem set in the present year and not the 90s, especially when compared to the outfits of Legally Blonde.

X user, Fan

But why didn't they use Reese Witherspoon's daughter...a literal carbon copy of her?

X user, Fan

Was Reese's daughter not considered for the role?

X user, Fan

Couldn't they cast Reese's daughter?

X user, Fan

A 'Legally Blonde' prequel was inevitable because Hollywood will reboot anything except original ideas literally.

X user, Fan

Why can't we have original new ideas instead of ruining the reputation of old movies by making trash?

X user, Fan
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Elle Woods prequel series Elle gets first trailer | Reed News