REESE Witherspoon has officially passed over the Legally Blonde torch – in the form of a pink dress she wore 25 years ago.
Original Elle Woods actress Reese, 50, handed the baton to newcomer Lexi Minetree, who will play the bubblegum princess in a TV series based on the iconic film.
In Amazon Prime’s prequel, out on July 1, we meet teen Elle in high school before she was a fish-out-of-water at Harvard Law School.
Not only is Lexi, 25, stepping into Reese’s shoes she’s also slipping into her dress, wearing the exact Marc Jacobs frock Reese wore to the film’s premiere in 2001.
She borrowed it for an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel chat show this week.
Reese said Lexi’s audition tape “took her breath away” and paid tribute to the actress this week at a 25th anniversary celebration of the franchise.
“I just could not be more proud to pass the baton or the pink torch to Lexi Minetree as the new Elle Woods,” she beamed.
“I love you so much. You have no idea. I’m just so proud of you.”
Reese was joined stars Selma Blair, 53, Jennifer Coolidge, 64, and Ali Larter at a special Elle World pop-up event in New York on Saturday night.
Legally Blonde became a cultural phenomenon, celebrated for breaking stereotypes, its iconic pink fashion and making famous phrases like “Bend and snap”.
Based on the 2001 novel by Amanda Brown, the story of a ditzy blonde sorority-girl-turned-lawyer, it was a breakout role for Reese, propelling her to global stardom and earning her a Golden Globe nomination.
Moving from infront of the camera to behind it with her Hello Sunshine company, executive producer of the prequel Reese said: “Twenty-five years after the world met Elle Woods for the first time, it’s a dream come true to share the story of how she became the unstoppable force we all fell in love with.
“I think our series’ themes of kindness, authenticity, and believing in yourself will resonate deeply with fans of the original films and new audiences alike.”
Season one of Elle begins in 1995, where the doe-eyed teen is forced to move from glitzy LA to Seattle.
There she encounters tricky friendships, forbidden romance, and questionable fashion choices.
It’s already been greenlit for a second series despite not hitting screens yet.