An Iconic Blonde Is Bringing Her Origin Story to the Upper East Side This Week

Anyone walking the low 70s near Central Park on Thursday may notice an unusual amount of commotion — trailers lining the curbs, parking spots roped off, and a film crew setting up shop just steps from the park. The production behind it all has some very recognizable Harvard Law roots.

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Big Indie Maple Inc. is scheduled to film scenes for ‘Elle,’ the upcoming ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel series for Prime Video, on Thursday, June 18, from approximately 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to flyers posted in the neighborhood. The notice lists the shoot under the working title “Hillcrest Road” — a cover name of the kind productions often use to keep a shoot low-profile — and warns of preparation activity in the hours before cameras roll.

Most of the action is expected in the low 70s between Fifth and Madison Avenues, with the production also holding parking on stretches of Madison Avenue and a slice of East 70th Street closer to Park Avenue. Per the posted notice, parking will be held 24 hours in advance on the following blocks:

• A quarter of the north side of East 70th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues (closer to Park)
• The east side of Madison Avenue between East 74th and East 73rd Streets
• A half block on the east side of Madison Avenue between East 73rd and East 72nd Streets (closer to East 73rd)
• The south side of East 73rd Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues
• The north side of East 72nd Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues

“Elle” stars newcomer Lexi Minetree as a teenage Elle Woods, the future Harvard Law standout originally played by Reese Witherspoon, who executive produces the series through her Hello Sunshine banner. The coming-of-age show, created by Laura Kittrell, follows Elle’s high school years in the 1990s and premieres July 1 on Prime Video. Amazon renewed it for a second season back in January, before the first episode had even aired.

Joining Minetree are June Diane Raphael (“Grace and Frankie”) and Tom Everett Scott (“That Thing You Do!”) as Elle’s parents, Eva and Wyatt, with Chandler Kinney (“Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin”) and David Burtka — the chef and husband of Neil Patrick Harris — among the supporting cast. “Pitch Perfect” director Jason Moore helmed the first two episodes. The ensemble also includes James Van Der Beek, the late “Dawson’s Creek” star, in a recurring role as a school superintendent and mayoral candidate — one of the final performances for the actor, who died in February at age 48 after a battle with colorectal cancer.

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Thursday’s shoot is a relatively rare New York turn for a production that films primarily north of the border. Both seasons have been shot largely in Vancouver, where cameras on the second season have been rolling since the spring.

Fans eager to get into the spirit ahead of the premiere have one more event to look forward to: a one-day ‘Elle World’ pop-up takes over Hall des Lumières in the Financial District on June 20.

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