Michael Winterbottom and Colin Firth Developing Film Based on Amanda Knox Murder Case

Director Michael Winterbottom (The Killer Inside Me) and Colin Firth are developing a feature film based on the recent murder case involving American student Amanda Knox.  Last December, Knox was convicted by an Italian court for the murder of her roommate and sentenced to 26 years in prison.  A representative for Winterbottom told Variety that the project is in its “early days”, and Winterbottom told the Guardian that he was not planning to take sides.  Said Winterbottom, “I have no view on whether they did it, the film will not be about that. There is unlikely to be a character playing Knox.  I talked to Firth about the idea of playing a journalist or a writer.”  However, Variety adds that Winterbottom and Firth have been spending time with Rome-based American journalist Barbie Latza Nadeau, author of Angel Face: The True Story of Student Killer Amanda Knox whose book suggests Knox is guilty.

An Amanda Knox telefilm for Lifetime is already underway with Hayden Panettiere playing the Seattle-based student.  Knox’s appeal trial begins November 24th.