Disney+ has released “The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox,” a controversial eight-part miniseries about American author and activist Amanda Knox.
The series revisits the murder case that made Knox internationally known. British exchange student Meredith Kercher died in Perugia, Italy, in 2007.
Knox has continued to maintain her innocence. She has also spoken publicly about the investigation and her experience in prison.
Knox co-produced the series, which tells the story largely from her perspective.
A new retelling of the story
“The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox” follows Knox before and after the events in Perugia. The series explores her personal life, the murder investigation and the years that followed.
Grace Van Patten, known for Hulu’s “Tell Me Lies,” plays Knox.
Italian student Raffaele Sollecito also became part of the case. In 2009, an Italian court convicted Knox and Sollecito of Kercher’s murder.
Both spent years in prison before their convictions went through several appeals.
Italy’s highest court ultimately overturned their convictions in 2015. The court cited serious problems with the evidence and investigation.
Rudy Guede, an Ivorian national, received a separate conviction for Kercher’s murder.
Reclaiming the narrative
The series gives Knox an opportunity to present her experience from her own perspective.
Creator K.J. Steinberg explained the decision to focus on Knox as a person rather than only on the criminal case.
“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,” Steinberg told Entertainment Weekly.
Executive producer Monica Lewinsky also connected with Knox’s experience.
“When we met, I saw in her the pain that I saw in myself,” Lewinsky told The Hollywood Reporter.
Lewinsky said Knox wanted to escape the public image that had followed her for years.
Knox also spoke about her motivation for telling the story.
“Ultimately, the thing that I was seeking after having been ostracized and vilified and literally imprisoned was human connection,” Knox told NPR.
She said she wanted viewers to understand her experience and connect with her story.
The series faces controversy
The new series has also attracted criticism.
Meredith Kercher’s sister, Stephanie, previously expressed concerns about the project. She said the family had experienced significant pain and found it difficult to understand how the series could bring new light to the case.
That reaction highlights the sensitivity surrounding the story.
For Knox, however, the series represents more than another retelling of a notorious case. It gives her a chance to revisit her past and share her perspective with a new audience.
“The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox” is now available on Disney+.
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