The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox: The 'controversial' true story of Meredith Kercher's 'brutal' murder gets free-to-air release
Amanda Knox was wrongfully convicted of the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher in 2007.
The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox dramatises the former student’s wrongful conviction for the murder of her flatmate Meredith Kercher. The new TV series air on Disney+ in 2025, and now arrives on ITV.
The true story of Meredith’s murder in 2007, and the subsequent police investigation, remains one of the most controversial crimes in living memory.
And Amanda’s 16-year “fight for freedom” has been dramatised in this TV series, with actress Grace Van Patten playing the titular role.
Here’s everything you need to know about the TV drama The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox on ITV, based on the shocking true story.
What is The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox about?
The TV drama The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is based on the disturbing true story of murdered Meredith Kercher. And crucially, the flatmate who was wrongfully convicted of killing her.
Amanda and Meredith were both exchange students sharing an apartment in Perugia, Italy. In 2007, a 20-year-old Amanda returned home after spending the night with her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. She called police when she discovered Meredith’s bedroom door locked and blood in the bathroom. Tragically, Meredith had been murdered in her own home.
After the investigation, police arrested Amanda Knox for the murder. In 2009, a jury convicted her of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher. Amanda subsequently spent four years in jail fighting to prove her innocence.
She was eventually acquitted in 2011, and released from jail. The drama will tell Amanda’s story. The synopsis reads: “This centres on Amanda Knox’s harrowing journey after being wrongfully imprisoned for her roommate’s murder, her battle to prove her innocence and regain her freedom.”
How can I watch Amanda Knox drama? When’s the start date?
The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox has already aired on Disney+, and now comes to ITV.
The Hulu Original series from Disney+, is coming to ITV and ITVX this July.
How many episodes is it?
The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is an eight-episode limited series.
Each episode is around an hour long. We suspect ITV will drop the series as a boxset.
Who is in the cast of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox?
Actress Grace Van Patten stars as Amanda Knox in the upcoming ITV drama. New York-born Grace is known for playing Lucy Albright in Tell Me Lies, and Zoe Marconi in Nine Perfect Strangers.
Andie MacDowell’s daughter Margaret Qualley – star of The Substance – was originally cast in the role of Amanda Knox. However, she left the project due to scheduling conflicts.
Irish actress Sharon Horgan plays Edda Mellas, Amanda’s mum. Sharon’s known for writing and starring in Catastrophe, Bad Sisters, and Pulling.
Giuseppe De Domenico portrays Amanda’s Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. The Sicily-born actor is known for #Goldfish, and ZeroZeroZero.
Meanwhile, Rome-born actor Francesco Acquaroli plays Italian magistrate Giuliano Mignini.
Dopesick’s John Hoogenakker also stars as Curt Knox, and Roberta Mattei plays Monica Napoleoni, the head of the homicide division in Perugia.
Where is Amanda Knox now?
American Amanda Knox is currently 38, and an author, activist, and journalist. She is married, with two kids.
Her memoir, Waiting to be Heard, became a best seller in 2013. She has subsequently written the book, Free: My Search for Meaning.
In 2018, she began hosting The Scarlet Letter Reports, a television series examining the “gendered nature of public shaming”.
Amanda acts as executive producers on the new drama, alongside Monica Lewinsky, Warren Littlefield, Lisa Harrison, Ann Johnson, and Graham Littlefield.
What is the true story behind the Meredith Kercher murder?
Meredith Kercher was murdered on November 01, 2007. The British student, who was on exchange from the University of Leeds, was just 21 when she was killed in her Perugia apartment in Italy.
She was found dead on the floor of her room. Her body was discovered in her bedroom, partly undressed with multiple stab wounds. Tragically, her murderer had also sexually assaulted her.
In 2009, American suspect Amanda Knox and her Italian former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted of Meredith’s murder. A judge sentenced them to 26 and 25 years in prison respectively.
Knox and Sollecito spent four years in prison after initially being convicted of Kerchers murder.
They were acquitted in 2011 before being convicted again in 2014 by an appeals court in Florence. This ruled that the multiple injuries inflicted on Kercher’s body proved that Rudy Guede (see more below) could not have acted alone.
However, Italy’s highest court overturned the decision in a definitive ruling in 2015. It detailed the “stunning flaws” in the investigation that led to the convictions of Knox and Sollecito.
Who really killed Meredith Kercher?
Rudy Guede was later convicted of the murder of the British student Meredith Kercher.
A known burglar, Rudy’s bloody fingerprints were found on Meredith’s possessions. He was convicted of murder in a fast-track trial and was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment, later reduced to 16 years. He is now free.
In December 2020, an Italian court ruled that Guede could complete his term by doing community service. He was freed from prison after completing 13 years of a 16-year sentence.
Rudy Guede always denied murdering Meredith Kercher, even though his DNA was found on her body and in her bedroom.
Why was the Meredith Kercher murder so controversial?
Meredith Kercher’s tragic murder, and the subsequently wrongful conviction of Amanda Knox and her boyfriend was THE news story at the time. Amanda Knox’s face was on the front cover of every newspaper and magazine.
In what has been described as a trial by media, Amanda and her boyfriend’s actions and reactions were scrutinised – and found by many to be suspicious. Amanda did not display the required level of sadness at the death of her flatmate.
Totally overshadowing Meredith’s murder, Amanda Knox was described as Foxy Knoxy by some press. She was labelled a party girl, and called a “she-devil” by prosecutors.
Knox’s “inappropriate” behaviour after the murder was noted by police officers and others in the murder trial. A senior police officer told the court in Perugia that both Knox and Sollecito had a “strange attitude” when they were brought to the police station for questioning.
Amanda Knox was seen turning cartwheels in the police station, the court heard. On one occasion, Knox sat on Sollecito’s lap while they were questioned.
Amanda continues to be criticised to this day. She is now being accused of “profiting from murder” with the new TV series about her. The family of the murdered Meredith Kercher say it is “difficult to understand” how the show “serves any purpose”.
Amanda Knox has been the subject of multiple TV and film projects, including a 2011 Lifetime movie, and a 2016 Netflix documentary.
(Credit: MediaPunch/INSTARimages)
The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox reviews
The dramatisation currently has a 71% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with top reviewers calling it “very compelling”. The series is also praised for its “excellent acting, high production values, and good writing”.
The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan gave the series four out of five stars. She said: “The script is often dodgy, and there is no involvement from the family of murdered student Meredith Kercher. But this show that’s executive-produced by Knox and Lewinsky is an astonishing tale of justice’s flaws.”
She also praised actress Grace Van Patten for her portrayal of Knox.
Time.com’s Judy Berman said: “Some of the best crime docudramas, like The Dropout and The Girl From Plainville, thrive on nuanced portraiture of real women whose mass-media villain edits contain far more truth than ‘Foxy Knoxy’.
“Without powerful insight into Amana Knox – who has drawn more perceptive conclusions from her ordeal in two memoirs, multiple podcasts, and the Netflix doc – it’s hard to justify the reopening of 18-year-old wounds.”
Read now: As new Jeremy Bamber documentary airs on C5, ‘gripping’ drama about the ‘nightmarish’ murders is free to watch now
