"Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere has been cast to play Amanda Knox in a Lifetime original movie. Tentatively titled, "The Amanda Knox Story," the movie is set to air in 2011 and will tell the story of the American exchange student studying in Italy who was convicted after an 11-month trial of mudering her roommate, Meredith Kercher. Knox was sentenced last December to 26 years in prison and she has always maintained her innocence. Kercher's family is not pleased that a film about their daughter's murder is being made. The family's lawyer, Francesco Maresca, told the Daily Mail, "It is inopportune as the trial is still ongoing with two further appeals." Kercher’s mother Arline told the Daily Mail it was insulting for the film to be named after her daughter’s killer. Update: Lawyers for Amanda Knox aren't too pleased with the movie plans, The New York Post reported Thursday. "It is inconceivable to make a film when a final verdict on this case has not been reached," Maria Del Grosso, a member of Knox's legal team, complained to the Italian news press.
Related: Former FBI Agent: Amanda Knox is innocentSlideshow: Look back at the images of the trial