Reese Witherspoon Prepares for Evolution of Elle Woods in ‘Legally Blonde’ Revival – Hollywood Reporter

6:00 AM PST 12/11/2019byLacey Rose

It was on the 15-year anniversary of Legally Blonde, back in 2016, that Witherspoon and producer Marc Platt decided there may be life left in their celebrated franchise.

"The response was so incredibly strong," Witherspoon recalls of a film that grossed $142 million and still has fans stopping her regularly to heap praise. "So, we discussed it and thought, maybe it's time to revisit."

Though they're still in the development stage of reviving the MGM property, both say that they're excited about seeing Elle Woods in her 40s and, moreover, that her sense of hope and optimism could be exactly what the world needs right now.

"I want to discover what age means to that character," adds the actress. "Aging, contemporary ideas, how things have evolved or not evolved."

Which is not to say she isn't daunted by the idea of returning to the iconic character, which catapulted her onto the A-list nearly two decades ago. She absolutely is, she says, "because it was so beloved and because you don't want to mess it up or do anything halfway."

That said, having had a similar experience with Big Little Lies, Witherspoon suggests she's more confident now that if "there's more story to tell, you're probably in a pretty good space."

This story first appeared in the 2019 Women in Entertainment Power 100 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

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Reese Witherspoon Prepares for Evolution of Elle Woods in 'Legally Blonde' Revival - Hollywood Reporter