Key Takeaways:
- The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is a dramatized limited series based on former study aboard student Amanda Knox’s two convictions and acquittals for the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher.
- The real Knox serves as an executive producer for the new show.
- Grace Van Patten headlines the cast and recently said the series will offer previously unreleased details about the case.
The star of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox says the new Hulu limited series will offer previously unreleased details about the case.
The serpentine legal saga of Knox—including her arrest, subsequent trials, and life today—is the focus of the eight-episode drama that premiered Wednesday. Knox, the American woman twice convicted and acquitted of killing her roommate Meredith Kercher in Italy in 2007, serves as an executive producer for the series.
While creator K.J. Steinberg has offered very few specifics about the show’s content, lead actor Grace Van Patten—who portrays Knox—has hinted The Twisted Tale will offer surprising revelations as it progresses. “I mean, I thought I knew a good amount [about the case], and it wasn’t even close to the twists and turns that happened throughout those years,” Van Patten told People in a recent interview. “It’s new information that the public does not know—especially in that last episode.”
Steinberg has previously said the project offers a more personalized look at Knox’s infamous case and its impact on the people around her—unsurprising given her production role.
“It seemed only appropriate to help the audience get to know her as a person before the false imprisonment, before the false accusations, before the crime, because that’s not who she is,” Steinberg told Entertainment Weekly. “That is what her story became, but that’s not who she is as a human being.” Conversely, people who were close to Kercher have suggested this new take is nothing more than a chance for Knox to benefit from her notoriety.
Here is what we know about the show and reactions to Knox’s involvement.
What is The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox about?
Knox, now 38, was studying abroad in Perugia, Italy, in November 2007 when she was arrested for the murder of Meredith Kercher, a 21-year-old student from London. The two women were roommates, having lived together less than two months when Kercher was found dead in their cottage.
In October 2008, a judge indicted Knox and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, on charges of murder and sexual assault. During the ensuing legal proceedings, Knox and Sollecito were twice convicted—in 2009 and 2014—and subsequently acquitted of Kercher’s murder. The case, with a young American woman at its center, garnered international news coverage. Knox spent almost four years in Italian prison amid the saga.
Rudy Guede, the only person definitively convicted of murdering Kercher, was sentenced to 30 years in prison but released in November 2021 following a sentence reduction.
Knox has since attempted to fully clear her name of all wrongdoing. Although Italy’s highest court upheld her slander conviction in January 2025 and she was sentenced to three years in prison, Knox remains free because of her previous time served. She’s now a criminal justice reform advocate, and this past March, she released a memoir, Free: My Search for Meaning, about her time in prison and plans for her future.
The new limited series is a dramatized account of Knox’s arrest, subsequent convictions and acquittals, and attempt to reconcile with Italian prosecutors.
Is Amanda Knox involved in the show?
Knox serves as an executive producer for the Hulu limited series, along with Monica Lewinsky and show creator K.J. Steinberg.
Knox and Lewinsky, 51, have developed a real-life friendship over the shared experience of rebuilding their reputations following a public scandal. “She’s very much like a big sister to me at this point, and I’m just so grateful that she’s in my life,” Knox said of their bond.
Knox previously participated in a 2016 Netflix documentary about her case and said working with Lewinsky on this project was “a really cool flipping of the script” when it comes to her story. “As someone who has had her worst experiences out there and exploited, [Lewinsky] wanted to uplift people who are in my position to actually have a say in telling their own stories. And so I am finding myself in the extremely privileged and rare position of being a subject who has a say,” she told Reason. “I am taking that very, very seriously. I am really proud of the work we’re doing.”
Who is playing Amanda Knox in the series?
Grace Van Patten headlines the limited series as Knox.
The 28-year-old Van Patten previously appeared in two other popular Hulu series, Nine Perfect Strangers and Tell Me Lies. She also had roles in movies including Tramps (2016), The Meyerowitz Stories (2017) starring Adam Sandler, and Under the Silver Lake (2018) with Andrew Garfield and Riley Keough. Van Patten is the nephew of late comedic actor Dick Van Patten, who starred in the TV sitcom Eight Is Enough and appeared in movies such as Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
Margaret Qualley was originally slated to play Knox but had to withdraw from the role due to scheduling conflicts.
Van Patten previously revealed she was “nothing but excited and terrified” for the role. “I feel like every character I have played has been either extensions of myself or something that’s in the realm of things I could connect to, whether I have experienced that or someone close to me has experienced that, just kind of within reach,” she told Only Natural Diamonds magazine. “And this is definitely a challenge in that way for so many reasons. But I’m really looking forward to getting into that and just doing the research.”
According to Van Patten, the series pushes back against “preconceived notions” against Knox created by the extensive media coverage surrounding her trials. “Most people did just read the headlines of her being this sex-crazed young girl, murderous, villainous, which couldn’t be further from who she is,” the actor told People.
Who else is in the cast?
Giuseppe De Domenico portrays Knox’s former boyfriend and acquitted co-conspirator Raffaele Sollecito. Sharon Horgan and John Hoogenakker appear, respectively, as Amanda’s parents, Edda Malas and Curt Knox. Anna Van Patten, a former Gossip Girl actor and Grace’s younger sister, plays Knox’s younger sister Deanna onscreen.
What has Meredith Kercher’s family said about the show?
A lawyer for Kercher’s family released a statement condemning the project shortly after production began in Italy last year. Filming locations reportedly include the Via della Pergola apartment complex where Kercher was murdered.
“We’ve already spoken about this case too much, and at a certain point, you have to close the chapter. However, Knox does not want to close the chapter,” attorney Francesco Maresca told The Times in November 2024.
“This continuous stirring is a demonstration of a lack of sensitivity. She earns money, obtains visibility on the television after many years… It seems that Knox does not want people to forget about this story and does all she can to keep it alive,” he added.
Meredith’s sister Stephanie Kercher didn’t address the limited series directly but said her late sibling “will forever hold a lasting legacy in friendship and kindness that no media can change.”
When do episodes of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox release?
The first two episodes of the show premiered Wednesday, August 20, on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers. Six additional episodes will debut weekly through October 1.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
