Hayden Panettiere to Play Amanda Knox
by Chris Harnick
posted Sept 20th 2010


Hayden Panettiere has signed on to play Amanda Knox in Lifetime's TV movie based on the real-life story of Knox, an American exchange student who was convicted in Italy for murdering her roommate.

Knox and her boyfriend were arrested in 2007 and accused of killing Meredith Kercher. Knox's trial lasted for nearly a year and ended with a 26 year prison conviction.

She has maintained her innocence and appealed.




According to Deadline Hollywood, the movie tentatively titled "The Amanda Knox Story" will air in 2011.

Robert Dornhelm will direct with a script from Wendy Battles of "CSI: NY" and "Law & Order".

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/09/20/casting-roundup-hayden-panettiere-to-play-amanda-knox-joe-jona/

Knox's Lawyers To Fight Panettiere Film
Sept. 23, 2010


A movie starring Hayden Panettiere as convicted murderer Amanda Knox has been thrown into jeopardy after lawyers for the jailed American student vowed to challenge plans to turn her story into a film.

Executives at America's Lifetime network announced this week that the "Heroes" actress has signed up to appear in the tentatively titled "The Amanda Knox Story", based on the 21 year old's sensational Italian murder trial over the brutal killing of her roommate.


Meredith Kercher was killed during a violent night fuelled by sex and drugs in 2007 and last year Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison for slashing her friend's throat with a knife.





Knox has maintained her innocence and is challenging the guilty verdict - and her lawyers are adamant movie bosses should not be allowed to take her story to Hollywood until the outcome of the appeal is heard.

Knox's attorney Maria Del Grosso, says, "It is inconceivable to make a film when a final verdict on this case has not been reached."



Giulia Bongiorno, a lawyer representing Knox's ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, who was also convicted of Kercher's murder, adds, "If the film is shown before the end of the appeals trial we will request it be seized by authorities."



Both their appeals are to go to court later this year.

-IMDB News