‘Elle’ Trailer Receives Mixed Reviews from ‘Legally Blonde’ Fans

Prime Video's "Elle" has sparked mixed reactions online following the release of its trailer. The "Legally Blonde" prequel series is set to premiere July 1, with a second season already greenlit.

Amazon Prime Video's "Elle" is off to an intriguing start after the release of its trailer on Tuesday, June 9, triggering a wave of mixed reactions online.

The prequel series follows Elle Woods' life before the events of the 2001 cult classic "Legally Blonde," which starred the beloved Reese Witherspoon. Witherspoon also serves as the show's co-executive producer.

As the official logline reads, the show follows "Elle Woods before she was a fish-out-of-water at Harvard. We meet her in 1995 as a fish in the tumultuous waters of high school where she encounters tricky friendships, forbidden romance and questionable fashion choices."

"Through it all, Elle uses her family as a touchstone, and forms an even tighter bond to her mother, proving that they can get through anything life throws their way as long as they have each other," it continues. "With each challenge she faces, Elle grows closer to the Elle Woods we know and love today."

Elle is portrayed by newcomer Lexi Minetree, who stars alongside June Diane and Tom Everett Scott as her onscreen parents, Eva and Wyatt. The ensemble cast also includes the late James Van Der Beek, Jessica Belkin, Kayla Maisonet, and Lisa Yamada, among others.

A second season has already been greenlit, and while plenty of viewers are eager to see the new material, others remain skeptical about whether the show can honor what made the original film so memorable.

"Ooh remember that popular movie? We've been out of original ideas so here's another demaksequelremaster of popular 80s-00s movie! Buy it! [sic]," one person remarked.

"So a generic sorority girl show without any of what made the movie special, i.e. the legal stuff? This is so [expletive] stupid," another wrote.

A third echoed the sentiment, "A prequel means she's just the sorority brat she was before she went to Harvard the whole time? That sounds terrible."

Others felt a sequel would have been the more compelling direction.

"This would have been more interesting as a continuation of the movies. I mean, Elle becoming a judge or even being in the White House would have been the next logical step. Hilariousness ensues," one fan suggested.

"Elle BEFORE Legally Blonde is a boring character. Give us a sequel. How is she doing in a proper law office? Did she join an NGO?" another said, while a third chimed in, "I don't care about Ellie before law school I want supreme courts justice Elle woods."

Still, not everyone was dismissive. Some viewers seemed cautiously optimistic about what the series could deliver.

"Ok this doesn't look so bad, it could be fun," one netizen wrote. Another was far more enthusiastic, "Hell yeah!! So I wonder how this sets her up for her future sorority! Will we meet her iconic sisters? I can't wait!!"

"Elle" premieres on Prime Video on July 1. Despite the divided response, Witherspoon has made clear that the project holds personal significance for her, describing it as a "dream come true" and "one of the most gratifying experiences" of her career.

"I can't wait to share Season One with the world and start rolling cameras on Season Two!" the actress said.