McCullah and Smith attended Stanford Law School for a week during orientation time; A scene of a group of new students walking around in a circle was inspired by law students listening to the writers during their visit. They have also served on criminal law and constitutional law courses; McCullah was particularly bored in second grade, although she found the first one interesting, but it inspired her to write a few scenes during this course. [13] Legally Blonde`s broad outline stems from Brown`s experiences as a blonde who went to Stanford Law School while obsessed with fashion and beauty, reading Elle magazine and frequently bumping into the personalities of her peers. In 2000, Brown met producer Marc Platt, who helped her develop her manuscript into a novel. Platt enlisted the help of screenwriters McCullah Lutz and Smith to adapt the book into a film. The project caught the attention of director Luketic, an Australian newcomer who came to Hollywood when his first eccentric short titsiana Booberini was a success. “I had been reading scripts for two years and couldn`t find anything to put my personal stamp on until Legally Blonde appeared,” Luketic said. The final product came after “about 10 drafts of the script. I worked with the writers (Kirsten Smith, Karen McCullah Lutz, who worked on Amanda Brown`s novel) who stayed after filming started,” Luketic explained. “And we would have rethought and rewritten, often in the middle of the night.
[10] An unused idea for the finished film involved an appearance by Judge Judy during Elle`s Video Trial at Harvard in which Elle and her friends were suing the show`s host, but the scene was cut off when Judge Judy Sheindlin was unable to board. Alanna Ubach instead suggested choosing Ryan Phillippe, Witherspoon`s then husband, for the role, which was rewritten as a male character, but Witherspoon didn`t think the idea would work. [13] Producer Marc Platt was fascinated by the character of Elle Woods when he received an unpublished novel manuscript. [8] “What I liked about this story is that it`s hilarious, sexy and challenging,” Platt says. “The world looks at Her and sees someone who is blonde and handsome, but no more. She, on the other hand, does not judge herself or anyone else. She thinks the world is great, she`s great, everyone is great and nothing can change that. She is truly an irrepressible modern heroine. [8] While “Legally Blonde” was released theatrically in 2001, her legacy and fan love for Elle Woods did not diminish. After all these years, fans of the franchise are still curious about what the original cast — including Witherspoon, Jennifer Coolidge, Selma Blair, Holland Taylor, Luke Wilson, Ali Larter and Matthew Davis — did. Before the premiere of the sequel, walk back in time and meet the cast of `Legally Blonde`.
The film first ended at the courthouse shortly after Woods won the case, with Elle on the steps of the courthouse sharing a victory kiss with Emmett, and then a year into the future for her and a now blonde Vivian who created her own blonde legal defense club at law school. After the test audience revealed that they didn`t like this ending, McCullah Lutz and Smith consulted luketic, Platt, and other members of the production team while they were still in the movie lobby, and they all agreed that a new conclusion was needed. “It was just a weak ending,” explained screenwriter McCullah Lutz. “The kiss didn`t feel good to me because it`s not a rom-com – it wasn`t about their relationship. So the test audience said, “We want to see what happens – we want her to pass.” That`s why we rewrote for the diploma. [31] Ubach and Jessica Cauffiel claim that the original ending also included Elle and Vivian, who drank margaritas in Hawaii, with the implication that they were either now best friends or romantically involved, although Smith and McCullah never wrote such an ending. Other proposed endings for the film were a musical number in which Elle, the judge, the jury and everyone in the courthouse burst into song and dance. [13] The writers introduced themselves to Luke Wilson when they developed interest in love with Elle, Emmett Richmond. “You auditioned a few other guys and we`re like, `How about auditioning Luke Wilson for the role of Luke Wilson? McCullah Lutz said. Middleton wanted to cast Paul Bettany as Emmett, but the team felt the character should be American, while Bettany is British.[15] [13] Other actors also used the social media app to revisit the film. Blair also made a solemn post, adding that she was “too busy talking to Matt Davis in my trailer or watching Reese at work” to take too many photos on set. Legally Blonde is remembered for its optimistic protagonist and a message that digs beneath the surface and has been relevant for years.
While waiting for the release of the third film, keep scrolling to see what the cast has done since the original film.