Hollywood's Prequel Obsession: From Elle Woods to Wednesday, Why TV Returns to Character Origins

In 2001, Reese Witherspoon portrayed Elle Woods in 'Legally Blonde', breaking down stereotypes associated with femininity as she entered Harvard. Now, more than twenty years later, she reprises her role in the Prime Video series 'Elle', which delves into her high school experiences prior to attending law school. Hollywood has shown a growing fascination with origin stories, evident in productions like 'Wednesday', 'Young Sheldon', 'The Carrie Diaries', and 'Smallville', as well as films such as 'Cruella', 'Wonka', 'Mufasa: The Lion King', and 'Furiosa'. Prequels have emerged as the prevalent storytelling approach, emphasizing character backstories rather than their climactic moments. Notably, Elle Woods' narrative centers on reinvention rather than trauma, highlighting Hollywood's challenge in crafting new myths while revisiting established ones. This article is authored by Margherita Bordino and appeared in Artribune.