The sassy Elle Woods is back again for Legally Blonde 3, and fans are over the moon. Reese Witherspoon soon became a popular household name after the first installment of the movie in 2001. Her drive to break stereotypes while maintaining her own unique personality soon became a favorite trope among audiences. Elle’s steadfast motivation and anything-is-possible attitude became defining factors of the Legally Blonde franchise. The second movie, which saw Elle move to Washington to fight for animal rights and Bruiser’s Law to ban the testing of make-up on animals, grossed more than USD 124 million worldwide.
While Legally Blonde 3 was a dream for fans for many years, Reese Witherspoon has always carried a positive attitude towards a third movie. Thankfully, that changed as Witherspoon said in 2015:
“I think we’re ready to see Elle and see what she’s up to lately. A lot of writers over the years have come up with different ideas for it. I actually think it’s kind of great right now because we’re talking about women in politics and how important that is to get more women. And I think it’d be kind of a cool thing to have her be a Supreme Court justice or somebody who runs for office, president.”
Here's everything we know about the sequel so far!
The Plot
The movie's plot details have mostly been kept under tight wraps, and only a few tidbits regarding the storyline are available. Legally Blonde 3 is supposed to showcase Elle in her 40s. Fans will see how 20 years of life have treated the spirited lawyer. Mindy Kaling, who was announced as a writer alongside Dan Goor, said, "I can't wait to see what people think of the way we've written Elle Woods at 40. How Elle Woods is at 40 versus when she was 21 has been really fun to imagine." Luke Wilson, who played the character of Emmett Richmond in the initial movies, also gave a few insights into the storyline, saying, “I would say they definitely have a few children, and I just think that it’d be really funny if Reese had a little mini-me, a version of herself. I would definitely think that they’d have a couple of children.”
However, Kaling has said that Legally Blonde 3 will not stray too far from the original storyline. She also hinted that Elle will most probably still be married to Emmett. In an exclusive interview with Extra, Kaling said, “I’m always fascinated to see where Elle would be in 2021 with all the political movements that have happened… I think she’s, like, married to Emmett… They have a nice family going on.”
With such limited details regarding the storyline, imagined possibilities for Elle’s life are endless. What is she advocating for now? Is she running for president? Is she a big-shot at Harvard? What has happened to her law career? Only time will tell.
The third installment is supposed to continue female empowerment as a prominent theme. Witherspoon, talking to the Hollywood Reporter, said Legally Blonde 3 will be “So much fun. So full of fashion. So full of awesome feminist ideas. It will be global.” Given contemporary feminist discourse and the unique, speak-her-mind character of Elle Woods, this theme is likely to propel the movie into the spotlight.
The Cast
The original producers Marc Platt and Adam Siegel will be back to work on the third movie, while Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine is set to produce the film. Many original cast members will reprise their original roles in Legally Blonde 3. Jennifer Coolidge’s role as Paulette has been confirmed, while Alanna Ubach and Jessica Cauffiel have also been listed as official cast members on IMDb. Fans expect Luke Wilson to also make a return in his role as Emmett Richmond, Elle’s husband. Wilson has said that he is up for returning to the role again in the event that he is asked to do so by Witherspoon. Selma Blair may also make a comeback in the new movie.
The movie will also have many new cast members. While talking to E!, Kaling said, “There's definitely gonna be a lot of new faces in the movie. Reflecting the world as it is now is something that's really important to Reese, and so having there be like diversity is super, super important. You can definitely count on that."
Current Status Of The Movie
Not many details regarding the movie's production are known, and no trailer has been released yet. The film was announced by Witherspoon in 2018, so the movie has been in development for some time. The timeline has been rocky, partly due to the delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and changes made to the writing team. The film was first scheduled to be released on Valentine’s Day in 2020 but has been pushed back for two years. The release date has now been set for this year. With the release only a couple of months away, the sassiness of Elle Woods is almost tangible, and this means fans better start practicing their bend and snap!
If anything is to be assumed based on the success of the first two movies, it is that the third installment is also on the way to becoming a success and new fan favorite. Legally Blonde 3 is scheduled to be released on May 20, 2022, and is expected to be one of the big new movies of 2022.