Mindy Kaling and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” co-creator Dan Goor have signed up — hopefully on pink, scented paper — to write the third installment of the “Legally Blonde” franchise. The project marks a reunion for Kaling and her “Wrinkle in Time” and “The Morning Show” co-star Reese Witherspoon, who will reprise her iconic role as Elle Woods and is producing via her Hello Sunshine studio with the franchise’s original producer Marc Platt. Deadline broke the news.
First confirmed two years ago, “Legally Blonde 3” was set to be penned by Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith and Karen McCullah, the writers behind the first “Legally Blonde.” The source specifies that “Kaling and Goor’s version isn’t a makeover, nor are they doing touch-ups, rather their screenplay will have an entirely new fresh spin.”
Hello Sunshine’s head of Film and Television Lauren Neustadter is also among the project’s producers.
“Legally Blonde” was released in 2001 and took in over $141 million worldwide. Its sequel, 2003’s “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde,” grossed more than $124 million. The movies served as inspiration for a 2007 Broadway musical which received seven Tony nominations.
No plot details are known for “Legally Blonde 3,” but “Legally Blonde 2″ hinted that a presidential run could be in Elle’s future. The sequel saw the Harvard Law grad move to Washington, D.C., to work on a bill to outlaw animal testing. The pic concluded with attorney and husband Emmett (Luke Wilson) discussing where they want to live, and Elle saying, “I think I know just the place,” as they drive by the White House.
Kaling most recently co-created Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever,” a coming-of-age comedy about an Indian American teenager that’s inspired by her own childhood that’s proven popular with critics and fans alike. “Late Night” and “Ocean’s 8” are among the “Office” alumna’s other recent credits. She wrote the screenplay for the former.
Witherspoon was last seen in Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere.”