LOS ANGELES – The time has come for Reese Witherspoon and the team behind the new “Legally Blonde” prequel series to find their young Elle Woods. On Wednesday, Witherspoon announced in a video posted to Instagram that the search is on to cast the coveted role of a high school-aged Woods for the upcoming Prime Video series “Elle,” the famed pink-clad character that Witherspoon originated in the 2001 classic.

“We are starting the casting process and we are making it open,” Witherspoon said in the video. “This is going to be really fun!” In the caption, Witherspoon directed her followers to submit their auditions at the link in her bio, writing she’s “SO excited to see all of your fabulous takes on everyone’s favorite Gemini vegetarian.” Witherspoon announced the prequel series when she appeared at Prime Video’s upfront presentation in May, saying that before Woods became a Harvard Law grad, she was just a “regular ‘90s high school girl.”

The series will follow a teenage Woods “as we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love in the first ‘Legally Blonde’ film,” according to an official synopsis. Viewers will see how Woods “navigated her world as a teenager with her distinct personality and ingenuity, in ways that only our beloved Elle could do,” Withersoon, who will serve as an executive producer on the series, said in a news release at the time of the show’s announcement. “Legally Blonde” premiered in 2001 and has become a cult classic. Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Luke Wilson, Jennifer Coolidge, Victor Garber, Ali Larter and Holland Taylor rounded out the all-star cast. A sequel was released in 2003 and a third installment is reportedly being co-written by Mindy Kaling.

The movie follows the optimistic and stylish sorority queen Woods (Witherspoon), who attends Harvard Law to win back her college boyfriend Warner (Davis). Woods winds up proving her many critics wrong when she excels in her field, finds love elsewhere and realizes her true value. (CNN)…[+]