September 24 2010 - Lawyers for convicted murderer Amanda Knox are reportedly trying to stop an upcoming film starring Hayden Panettiere.

It was reported earlier this week that Heroes star Panettiere had signed to play Knox in a Lifetime TV movie based on the Italian trial of the 21-year-old student and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito.

Knox and Sollecito were convicted of murdering British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy. However, the pair have always maintained their innocence and are currently challenging their prison sentences.

Maria Del Grosso, Knox's defence attorney, said of The Amanda Knox Story: "It is inconceivable to make a film when a final verdict on this case has not been reached."

Sollecito's lawyer Giulia Bongiorno commented: "If the film is shown before the end of the appeals trial we will request it be seized."
The appeals are due to be heard in court later this year, while the Lifetime project is currently slated for a 2011 airdate.