Reese Witherspoon could be returning as Elle Woods in 'Legally Blonde 3'.

Reese Withersoon

Reese Withersoon

The 'Big Little Lies' star is very close to signing a deal with MGM to star in a new sequel - 17 years after the first 'Legally Blonde' movie hit cinemas.

Reese starred as ditsy Elle, who attempts to win back her high school boyfriend by following him to Harvard Law School, only to prove appearances can be deceiving when she aced her degree and became a top lawyer.

The hit comedy spawned a sequel and an award-winning stage musical.

'Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blue' was released in 2003 and followed Elle as she went to work for the US Congress in Washington DC and 'Legally Blonde: The Musical' has run on Broadway, London's West End and toured the world.

The first two films also starred Luke Wilson and Jennifer Coolidge.

The plot for the new sequel is unknown, but Kirsten 'Kiwi' Smith and Karen McCullah, who adapted the Amanda Brown novel for the original film, are in final talks to write the script, according to Deadline.

The pair were behind a series of successful teen comedies including '10 Things I Hate About You' and 'House Bunny'.

Marc Platt, who produced the original movie is returning with his Platt Productions president Adam Siegel , and will be joined by Reese through her production company Hello Sunshine.

Rom com director Robert Luketic helmed the first film, but it is not yet known who will direct the sequel.

The original 'Legally Blonde' took $141 million at the global box office on an $18 million budget, and the sequel made $124 million on a $45 million budget.