A Legally Blonde reunion is happening today!
Reese Witherspoon has announced on Monday that she and several of her Legally Blonde co-stars are coming together for a virtual reunion, nearly two decades after the Robert Luketic-directed movie hit the theaters in 2001.
As detailed in the video teaser that Witherspoon posted on Instagram, the virtual reunion will be available to stream on Tuesday, October 20th at 6:15 p.m. ET on the Hello Sunshine YouTube channel. The online event will benefit World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that provides meals in the wake of natural disasters.
Hosted by Saturday Night Live’s Chloe Fineman, the reunion will feature Witherspoon (Elle Woods), Selma Blair (Vivian Kensington), Jessica Cauffiel (Margot), Jennifer Coolidge (Paulette Bonafonte), Matthew Davis (Warner Huntington III), Ali Larter (Brooke Taylor Windham), Holland Taylor (Professor Stromwell), Alanna Ubach (Serena McGuire), and Luke Wilson (Emmett Richmond).
In a lengthy Instagram post, Cauffiel teased what fans can expect from the reunion. “Like giddy school kids back in the playroom, the chemistry was electric,” the actress shared of what she and her co-stars were like after seeing each other after so many years. “I screamed the entire time like a reporter in a windstorm because I couldn’t contain the excitement! … And you guys just watch everybody rip, because this cast is AMAZING and funnier than ever.”
Cauffiel went on to reveal that they all cried at one point because “it was so wonderful to see everyone” and “the love’s palpable” for each and every one. The actress ended her post by saying that it’s an “honor of a lifetime” to be part of the “empowering” and “seminal” classic. “I still pinch myself that I just so happen to be in one of my favorite films, one that continues to inspire and bring happiness to so many,” Cauffiel wrote.
Based on Amanda Brown’s novel of the same name, Legally Blonde was a box office hit, earning $141 million worldwide against a production budget of just $18 million. The movie also received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise going to Witherspoon’s performance. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy, with Witherspoon receiving a Golden Globe nod for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, as well as a nom for the MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance.
The commercial success of the first film led to a couple of in-universe films: a 2003 sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, and a 2009 direct-to-DVD spin-off, Legally Blondes. A third installment in the main film series has also been in the works since June 2018. And just this past May, it was reported that Mindy Kaling and Dan Goor were writing the film, reportedly giving “an entirely new fresh spin” on the MGM threequel’s script that was originally penned by Kristen “Kiwi” Smith and Karen McCulla.