Reese Witherspoon Basically Confirmed Jennifer Coolidge Is In Legally Blonde 3

When Legally Blonde arrived in theaters in the summer of 2001, it was assumed to be a lightweight comedy that lasted maybe a month in theaters before slipping into obscurity. Instead, the film turned into a monster sleeper hit, bringing in $141 million and spawning a sequel, a musical, and a reality series. But Elle Woods isn’t done yet. According to reports, Legally Blonde 3 is finally getting underway, despite massive delays.

Legally Blonde 3 has been officially in the works for four years now. It started in June 2018, when Deadline announced original star Reese Witherspoon was making a deal with original producer MGM Studios to reprise her role as Elle Woods — this time 20 years older and wiser. That was followed by a planned release date of Valentine’s Day 2020.

The project disappeared from the headlines for nearly two years; Valentine’s Day came and went with no film. Then, in May 2020, Mindy Kaling and Parks & Rec writer Dan Goor were confirmed as teaming up to write the script. (It would be their second together, the other being a “hot property” that notably also hasn’t materialized.)

Jump forward to 2021, the next time the project surfaced. This time, it made headlines when Kaling mentioned it as part of an interview, promising filming would be underway once the Hollywood shutdowns were over.

So, where does the project sit? Here’s what to know.

Legally Blonde 3 Cast

The big lift to make any Legally Blonde film is to get Reese Witherspoon on board. Without Elle Woods being part of the film in some capacity, there’s no sequel. That part has been achieved.

As for any other returning cast members, there’s a lot of talk. However, there have been zero reports of anyone other than Witherspoon signing on. Kaling has name-checked bringing back Jennifer Coolidge as Paulette Bonafonté since her big comeback in The White Lotus. Witherspoon doubled-down on the reassurance Coolidge will be back. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Feb. 2, Witherspoon basically confirmed Coolidge would return if the third film is made: “There is no Legally Blonde 3 without Jennifer Coolidge,” Witherspoon plainly stated.

Luke Wilson has made positive comments at the idea of returning, should he be offered a role. Even Holland Taylor, who played Professor Stromwell, has been agreeable in interviews about the idea of coming back. But until any one of them has signed a contract, none of this is confirmed. Also unconfirmed: New characters, despite the general agreement that any new Legally Blonde should make sure to have a more diverse cast than the original.

Legally Blonde 3 Plot Predictions

As for any plot for Legally Blonde 3, other than checking in on Elle Woods 20 years on, there’s little to go on. Kaling said in an interview that when she imagines where Elle would be today, “I think she’s, like, married to Emmett… They have a nice family going on.” But beyond that, fans will have to wait for, well, a script.

Legally Blonde 3 Release Date & Trailer Predictions

Legally Blonde 3 did not debut on its announced May 2022 date. The official website merely states a TBD release date sometime in 2023. Once production starts, fans will have a better idea of when that might be.

Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde are both streaming on Hulu.