Young actress Lexi Minetree will be hoping Reese Witherspoon still has a bit of her Midas touch left in those fingertips.
As we all know, Witherspoon can turn books into bestsellers and movies into box office gold.
Now, having given her stamp of approval to newcomer Minetree to take up the baton as a young Elle Woods in the Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle, we are about to see her power as a starmaker.
Elle is Minetree’s first major role and if she enjoys the same success that the 2001 film delivered to Witherspoon, it will be the first of many.
Read on and get to know this star on the rise.
Who is the new Elle Woods?
In a sweet video posted to Reese Witherspoon’s Instagram page – and her 30 million followers – the Hello Sunshine powerhouse told Lexi Minetree in February, 2025, she’d won the role of the young Elle Woods in the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel Elle.
Fans agreed with the choice with the post garnering more than 250,000 likes and counting.
“When I saw her tape, I was like, ‘Are we the same person?’” Witherspoon mused during the announcement.
“Your audition tape was amazing, as we talked about, and we had to make a really hard decision the other day,” Witherspoon told Minetree in the viarl clip.
“We wanted to tell you in person because you’ve just worked really hard. And we just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to audition anymore because you got the part. You’re Elle Woods!”
Who is Lexi Minetree?
Not surprisingly, Minetree, who only has a handful of credits to her name, took more than a moment to process the news that she had landed the coveted role.
“OK, OK, OK, my brain is going nuts over here I don’t even know where to begin,” Minetree shared. “Thank you to my family, friends and reps who believe in me and my silly lil dreams,”
The casting is a major boost to Minetree’s resume. She’s had minor roles in shows like Law & Order: SVU and The Murdaugh Murders.
Clearly, she worked hard to get the role. After the announcement she posted a carousel of photos of her channelling Elle Woods, describing it as her “manifestation photo shoot”.
“I think it may have worked, has anything cool happened to me lately???” she wrote.
What is the plot of the Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle?
At this stage, not much is known about the plot of Elle. What we do know is that it will follow Elle in her high school years, deliving into the life experiences that shaped her to become the iconic Harvard Law School success story we saw play out in the first Legally Blonde film.
“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 told fans.
“Elle’s magnetic personality brightens the world with confidence, vulnerability and an earnestness that charms everyone around her. Coming of age in the ’90s, Elle will encounter her first love and her first heartbreak, and she will find her moral convictions.”
Jason Moore, who helmed Shotgun Wedding, Pitch Perfect and Sisters, will direct the first two episodes.
Witherspoon is serving as executive producer of the series.
Where can I watch Elle, the Legally Blonde prequel series in Australia?
As yet, there’s no date for when Elle will be released.
In fact, the TV series is still in the early stages of production. But when it does finally land it will be coming to Prime Video.
In the meantime, you can re-watch Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde: Red, White & Blonde (and even the straight to video spin-off Legally Blondes if you must) on Prime Video.
Stream Legally Blonde on Prime Video from $9.99/month, with a 30-day free trial. Sign up here.
