‘Legally Blonde’ Prequel Series: ‘Batwoman’ Alum Caroline Dries Serving as Co-Showrunner (EXCLUSIVE)

Caroline Dries is serving as the co-showrunner on the “Legally Blonde” prequel series “Elle” at Amazon Prime Video, Variety has learned exclusively.

The show was formally greenlit at Amazon back in May. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Dries boarded the series shortly after the greenlight, but her involvement was not known publicly until now. She will showrun alongside series creator Laura Kittrell.

As previously announced, the show will follow a young Elle Woods during her high school years and show audiences “the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love in the first ‘Legally Blonde’ film,” per the official logline.

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Dries was previously the showrunner and creator of the CW series “Batwoman,” which aired for three seasons at the network. Her other TV credits include writing and executive producing the hit series “The Vampire Diaries” at the CW as well as popular shows like “Melrose Place,” “Smallville,” “Arrow,” and “Gotham Knights.” On the feature side, Dries recently sold the erotic thriller “Over Asking” to Paramount Pictures, with Karen Rosenfelt producing.

She is repped by WME, Entertainment 360, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.

Kittrell serves as creator, executive producer, and co-showrunner with Dries set as co-showrunner and executive producer. “Legally Blonde” star Reese Witherspoon executive produces along with Lauren Neustadter via Hello Sunshine, a part of Candle Media. Lauren Kisilevsky and Marc Platt will also executive produce. Amazon MGM Studios will produce.

The first “Legally Blonde” film was a box office success, grossing over $140 million worldwide following its release in 2001. The sequel “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde” was released in 2003. A direct-to-video third film came out in 2009, though Witherspoon did not star but did serve as a producer. A stage musical based on the first film debuted on Broadway in 2007, receiving multiple Tony and Drama Desk nominations.