There’s a reunion around every corner! That’s how we’re trying to get through the pandemic, I guess. With nostalgia – and all kinds of cast reunions. The latest: Legally Blonde, which turns 20 next year which means this year is the 20th anniversary of when the movie was in production. So everyone got together virtually, led by Reese Witherspoon aka Elle Woods, in support of World Central Kitchen (hosted by Hello Sunshine, of course. Because Reese is a BOSS). I haven’t yet made my way through it (there are SO MANY reunions and videos and chats and etc etc etc to watch, this is a steroided version of how people were feeling during Peak TV when EVERYTHING was on the list and that was already a steroid situation) but you don’t have to consume all of it to appreciate how much they appreciate this experience, and what it means to them. And also how great it is to see Selma Blair participating and doing well. 

 

Back to the experience – this was the movie and the character that made Reese Witherspoon. She began her ascent in Cruel Intentions and Election, of course, but it was Legally Blonde that made her a superstar, two years after the birth of daughter Ava. Which is an interesting case study, because that’s not how fame usually works. Reese got pregnant at 22, just as her career was taking off. She and Ryan Phillippe became young parents and then, shortly after Ava was born, she became Elle and a household name. 

Legally Blonde came out in the summer of 2001 and it was a sleeper hit, opening well above its budget and going on to make well over $100 million worldwide. By the time the Oscars came around nine months later in March 2002, Reese was Hollywood’s newest young star and she was invited to present alongside Ryan. I post about this clip once in a while because it tells so many different stories. Start at the 1:40 mark if you don’t want to watch the whole thing: 

 

 

Do you think that was planned between them? Or do you think that was a spontaneous reaction? Also I will always love that dress.

Anyway, after the reunion yesterday, MGM formally announced the release date for Legally Blonde 3. 

 

So, yes, it’s happening and Mindy Kaling is co-writing the script. She and Reese are friends and she’s joked about how she’s constantly repeating Reese’s lines from Legally Blonde to her and then Reese suggested that since Mindy is such an unapologetic fan of rom-coms, that she take over the writing. Mindy said it’d be interesting to see who Elle is in her 40s. So, clearly, the plans are in place. They’ll start shooting next year, and hopefully at some point, whenever this f-cksh-t is over, we’ll have a new movie to look forward to and it looks like, judging from the turnout at the reunion, that everyone wants to come back. 

Attached - Reese running errands the other day in LA.