Prime Video’s ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel ‘Elle’ has been renewed for a second season before the first episode of the debut season even aired, the show’s creators have revealed. The series, which follows a teenage Elle Woods in 1995, became the most-viewed show on the streaming platform in its first week of release, according to Amazon.
Showrunners Laura Kittrell and Caroline Dries said the early renewal presented a unique challenge: navigating press interviews without spoiling events already filmed for the second season. “It has been quite a time,” said Kittrell, who created the show. Dries added, “Amazon wouldn’t want it any other way.”
The first season’s eight episodes centre on Elle (newcomer Lexi Minetree) after her family moves from Bel-Air to Seattle, where she uncovers a conspiracy over misappropriated school funds. The late James Van Der Beek, who died in February 2026 at age 48, played school superintendent and mayoral candidate Dean Wilson, the ringleader of the scheme. It was his final performance.
Kittrell praised Minetree’s ability to channel Reese Witherspoon’s iconic portrayal, saying she “nails” key lines from the 2001 film. Van Der Beek, who was undergoing treatment for stage 3 colorectal cancer during filming, rewrote his character’s ending. According to executive producer Jason Moore, the actor described acting as a distraction from his pain, adding, “He really wanted to hold people close.”
