Mindy Kaling has added another impressive project to her roster. Now, she is set to co-write the script for Legally Blonde 3 with Brooklyn 99 writer Dan Goor.
Kaling started as a writer and actress for the hit NBC show The Office, and in 2020 created her own Netflix show Never Have I Ever. She also acted alongside Reese Witherspoon in “A Wrinkle in Time.” Witherspoon, who played the main character Elle Woods in the films, personally asked Kaling to write the screenplay, according to Time.
The newest Legally Blonde installment was initially set to premiere in spring 2022 before Kaling and Goor opted to indefinitely delay the film. Kaling explains that the choice to delay the film reflects her commitment to ensuring she does the beloved Legally Blond movies justice, according to Time.
“I think of it like Reese’s Avengers. Elle Woods is like her Captain America, and so you don’t want to be the person that messes up that story, so for me, we are just taking our time because we want it to be really good,” Kaling told ABC News.
The first Legally Blonde film, which premiered in 2001, was met with great commercial success. The story of an upbeat sorority girl turned Harvard Law Student prompted a sequel which premiered in 2003.
In reflecting on the film, Kaling tweeted that the iconic appeal of Elle Woods is her duality: “proving you can be girly and smart at the same time.” Kaling reveals themes she plans to explore for the iconic Woods in the third installment.
“What is Elle Woods like at 42? Does she end up becoming all the things she wanted? How does that personality manifest in a grown woman? Has she become more cynical?” Kaling said in her interview with Time Magazine.
Kaling reveals the interesting and difficult aspects of the writing process and is careful in managing the challenges of bringing an iconic 2001 character into the present. Kaling also acknowledges how the early installments could be improved, such as having more inclusive casting.
Ultimately, as a fan herself of the films, Kaling is unafraid to bring Elle Woods into the present.
“We’re not afraid of the character in this world, and we don’t feel we have to apologize for her,” she told Time Magazine. “As a fan, I didn’t want to watch her be canceled or become a Karen.”
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