If you existed during the early 2000s, then you are likely able to recite almost every line in Legally Blonde. And while rewatching the first and second films are a tradition for most, it turns out that there’s a third movie on the horizon.
When Legally Blonde was first released in 2001, the world fell head over heels for Reese Witherspoon’s take on Elle Woods—and Jennifer Coolidge’s Paulette, of course. Not only did the film’s success garner millions in box office sales worldwide, but it saw the creation of endless memes and a second film, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde.
Without a doubt, the Legally Blonde franchise has earned the title of the funniest and most iconic comedy from the ’00s, so fans have been waiting with bated breath for news of a third instalment. And thankfully, our dreams are coming true.
Slated to return to our screens almost 20 years after the second film hit cinemas, the franchise’s main stars have been rather talkative about the incoming three-quel, baiting fans with hints and even wardrobe revisits to whet our appetites.
So, without further ado, here’s everything we know about Legally Blonde 3—from the release date to which original cast members will be back.
What is the plot of Legally Blonde 3?
Taking to Instagram to announce the third flim, Witherspoon posted a short video of herself floating in her pool in Elle’s iconic sequin, hot pink bikini.
“It’s true… #LegallyBlonde3,” she captioned the post, which has since been removed.
But thankfully, Witherspoon has been keeping fans updated with the inspiration that’s gone into the third film’s creation.
Who is in the cast of Legally Blonde 3?
Of course, it’s a no-brainer that Reese Witherspoon will return to play the dog-advocating, pink-loving, bend-and-snapping Elle Woods. But as for the rest of the cast, while no one is confirmed to return for the third film, most of the cast have said that they’d be keen to come back.
“I did hear at one point after The Morning Show [that] it’s going [to happen],” Jennifer Coolidge, who played nail salon worker Paulette, told Us Weekly in January 2020.
“But of course, there’s rumours that you read every day in the newspaper that say, ‘Legally Blonde is opening May 20 this year,’ and you’re, like, ‘Well, ugh.’ But I don’t know. I would love to play Paulette again.”
In fact, Kaling confirmed that Coolidge is “1,000 percent” going to make an appearance in the third film, to Andy Cohen in July 2021.
As for Elle’s husband, Emmett, Luke Wilson revealed that he’s keen to make a return as well.
“Of course [I’d do it],” he told Us Magazine in 2020. “As for the Legally Blonde that we’re hearing about now—I don’t know anything than the usual man on the street. And that’s really the truth. I’ve heard they’re writing it and trying to put it together, but they’re keeping it pretty firmly under wraps.”
“It’s just a good feeling. It’s one thing to make a movie people like, it’s another thing to make a movie that does well, but to have one that gets legs because of how people feel about it, that is a great feeling,” he said. “To have a movie make a jump to generations.”
And then for Matt Davis and Holland Taylor, they both have said that they would be interested in returning.
“I think anything’s possible,” Davis, who played Elle’s ex boyfriend, Warner, told Us Weekly in 2018. “I’ve always told people that without Warner, there’s no Elle Woods. Warner compels Elle to go to Harvard. Think about that. Without Warner, there’s no Legally Blonde!”
Taylor, who played Professor Stromwell, told Us Weekly in 2018 that she hopes she gets the chance to return.
“If they don’t have that character back as a Supreme Court justice or an even more elevated professor or as part of the government, they’re crazy,” she said.
While so many original cast members are keen to return to the franchise, there could be some newcomers on the horizon—specifically, ones related to Witherspoon.
In an interview with Extra, Kaling confessed that she’s secretly been pining for Witherspoon’s 22-year-old daughter, Ava Phillippe, to come on board for the third film.
“Listen, I think I can do anything, and if that’s something she wanted to do, what a joy to have her in that,” she shared.
Given that the film will likely pick up when Elle Woods is 40-years-old, it could be a great chance for Ava to take on the role as her mother’s on-screen daughter.
“I can’t wait to see what people will think of the way we wrote Elle Woods,” Kaling told Access Hollywood in January 2021. “We wrote Elle Woods at 40, so how Elle is at 40 versus how she was at 21 has been really fun to imagine.”
When will Legally Blonde 3 be released?
When it comes to the release date for Legally Blonde 3, this is where things get tricky. During a virtual Legally Blonde cast reunion with Witherspoon, Coolidge, Selma Blair, Jessica Cauffiel, Davis, Taylor and Wilson, a release date was confirmed for May 2022.
However, that date has come and gone with no hints about the third film in sight. Currently, there has been no update with the release date for Legally Blonde 3, but here’s hoping Kaling and Witherspoon spill the beans soon.
