Trailer out for controversial movie about Amanda Knox trial starring Hayden Panettiere

[HMG Celebrity News] – After her success in ‘Heroes’ Hayden Panettiere is about to challenge her fans by appearing as Amanda Knox, the focus of one of the most controversial court cases in modern times – The murder of Meredith Kercher.

The movie ‘Amanda Knox: Murder On Trial’ graphically recreates the events of 2007 when 21-year old British exchange student Meredith Kercher was found dead in her bedroom at the apartment she shared with Amanda in Perugia, Italy on November 2nd, 2007.

Police say she’d been stabbed and sexually assaulted.

After a 12-month trial in 2009, 23-year old Amanda, her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito and fellow student Rudy Guede were found guilty of the crime. Amanda got 26-years in jail, Raffaele got 26-years and Guede was sentenced to thirty but got sixteen instead on appeal.

Due to air on Lifetime on February 21, the movie recreates the trial, Amanda’s pleas of innocence and the tireless and emotional appeals by her mother, Edda Mella, [played by Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden] to get her released. But Meredith’s family are deeply upset by the movie and its inconsiderate timing.

“It is inopportune as the trial is still on going with two further appeals.” said Francesco Maresca, the Kerchers lawyer. And Meredith’s mother firmly agrees;

“I don’t see how they can make a film called The Amanda Knox Story when the story is really all about my daughter,” Arline Kercher has since told reporters. “It’s all very odd.”

Before filming began Hayden had asked to meet Amanda in jail, but that request was denied.

“It’s something I would like to do,” she told the BBC. “But I know the Italian government is being pretty protective of her, and her lawyers are also being protective – which is pretty understandable.”

But she sees no problem in playing a convicted killer;

“She went through it with this innocence,” Hayden explained. ”The script is pretty fact driven. It’s difficult to play a character when you don’t know the truth, but my job is to play innocent. I hope, the family aren’t upset about how it was done.”

As for Amanda, her lawyer says she’s against the idea.

“We find it very inopportune that a film is being made when the case is still active and an appeal’s taking place,” Carlo Della Vedova told the Mail. “Amanda knows about the film from the newspaper, but she’s not in agreement and she’s surprised.’

At the trial, prosecutors presented no direct evidence that placed Amanda at the scene of the crime. So this movie should reopen a heated debate – is she a killer or an innocent stooge? What’s your opinion?…