Where Was the “Legally Blonde” Prequel “Elle” Filmed? See All the Real-Life Locations
Where Was the “Legally Blonde” Prequel “Elle” Filmed? See All the Real-Life Locations
Francesca GarianoThu, July 2, 2026 at 1:30 PM UTC
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The Prime Video show 'Elle'Credit: Jessica Brooks/Prime Video
In the Legally Blondeprequel series Elle, everyone’s favorite blonde gets a rude awakening when her family moves from sunny Bel-Air to rainy Seattle, making her a pop of pink in a sea of black and gray.
The Prime Video series premiered on the streaming platform on July 1, with a second season already greenlit. “Season One of Elle follows Elle Woods before she was a fish-out-of-water at Harvard," reads a description. "We meet her in 1995 as a fish in the tumultuous waters of high school where she encounters tricky friendships, forbidden romance, and questionable fashion choices.”
Lexi Minetree follows in the footsteps of Reese Witherspoon to bring Elle Woods to life on the small screen, starring opposite Tom Everett Scott and June Diane Raphael, who play her parents, Wyatt and Eva Woods, respectively. They are joined by Jacob Moskovitz, Gabrielle Policano, Chandler Kinney, Zac Looker and Amy Pietz, as well as the late James Van Der Beek in a recurring role as mayoral candidate Dean Wilson.
The series follows the Woods family after they leave behind California for Washington state. With her life in sunny Southern California swapped for the Pacific Northwest, Elle is forced to assimilate into her new life, including a new school, an attempt at a grunge-inspired wardrobe and new friends.
So, where was Elle filmed? Here’s everything to know about the Prime Video series' real-life shooting locations.
Why is Elle based in Seattle and not Los Angeles?
Lexi Minetree as Elle Woods in the Prime Video show 'Elle'Credit: Prime Video
While Legally Blonde took place in Los Angeles before Elle made her way to Harvard in Cambridge, Mass., the prequel series has a slightly different setting for the future-lawyer.
Elle takes place in 1995 after Elle and her family relocate from Bel-Air in California to Seattle while she’s still in high school. But why the big move? In the first episode of the series, the Woods family is forced to "lay low for a little bit" after a client receives a botched nose job from Wyatt's plastic surgery practice.
Creator and co-showrunner Laura Kittrell specifically chose an alternative spot on the West Coast for the Woods family’s move, telling Ellemagazine that she didn’t want the series to become “too similar to the movie,” cutting out the East Coast from her search for a secondary location.
Instead, she asked herself, “‘What’s the most interesting thing that was happening in 1995 in the United States where [Elle] could go?’ ”
Co-showrunner Caroline Dries cited the major change for the Woods family as what drew her into the project, explaining that by “page 3 or 4, wherever we announced the big premise of the episode, and I was like, ‘Well, this writer [Kittrell] is a genius.’ “
“Because the concept so perfectly roots you in the conflict of the movie, but it brings you back to what happens to be my favorite period of time in my life: 1990s grunge,” Dries added.
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Where was the Prime Video show Elle filmed?
The Prime Video show 'Elle'Credit: Kimberley French/Prime Video
The Prime Video show is set in Seattle, though production primarily took place just across the border in Vancouver, Canada.
Months before production began, Hollywood North Buzz reported in February 2025 that filming would take place between March 31, 2025, and July 22, 2025. The first season of Elle filmed across Metro Vancouver, with several local spots serving as the backdrop of the series.
Driving scenes were filmed on West Cordova, a popular street in downtown Vancouver, while other moments were filmed in Central Park in Burnaby, per Hollywood North Buzz.
Additional filming locations included Tsawwassen, located south of Vancouver, as well as the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, which was converted into the Seattle International Airport, according to the Daily Hive.
Long before the show’s premiere, Elle was also renewed for a second season at Prime Video in January 2026, per The Hollywood Reporter. Much like season 1 of the series, production took place in Vancouver.
The Vancouver Sun reported in April 2026 that filming for season 2 began on March 2 in the Vancouver area, and was expected to run through June 21.
During the spring, one filming location was spotted for Elle’s second season. The exterior of PoCo Bowl, a local bowling alley in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, was turned into Tower Records in April 2026.
Vancouver is Awesome later reported on several other places, including Ron Zalko Fitness and Yoga in the Kitsilano neighborhood, as well as street closures across Port Coquitlam.
Was Elle filmed in California?
Lexi Minetree as Elle Woods in the Prime Video show 'Elle'Credit: Kimberley French/Prime Video
While Elle follows Elle’s life after her move from California to Washington, some filming still took place in California.
According to Production List, the series shot in two locations in California in April 2025: Culver City and Los Angeles.
In May 2025, E! Newsalso reported that the cast was spotted filming on the famous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, including the show’s star, Minetree — donning a monochromatic pink ensemble, of course — as well as several of her on-screen friends.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
