The media franchise is based on the 2001 novel, Legally Blonde, written by Amanda Brown. The installments follow the comical adventures of Elle Woods, a blonde California University of Los Angeles sorority president, who enrolls in law school. The films include two theatrical releases, one musical television film, one straight-to-home video release, and a third theatrical film in development. Amazon Prime Video announced a new upcoming 2025 prequel series, Elle.