Hulu ventures into the murky waters of Italian true crime with its new limited series, This Is Not Hollywood: Avetrana. The five-episode drama, premiering October 25th in the US (and Disney+ internationally), revisits the highly publicized 2010 case of Sarah Scazzi, a 15-year-old who vanished from the small town of Avetrana, only to be later found murdered.
Adapted from the book Sarah: La ragazza di Avetrana, the series takes a look at the case through the eyes of those who knew Sarah, exploring the tangled web of relationships, secrets, and the inevitable media circus that ensued.
The series opens with the unsettling disappearance of Sarah, initially framed as a possible teenage escapade. However, the narrative quickly takes a darker turn as the investigation reveals a far more disturbing reality. The vanishing throws the close-knit community of Avetrana into turmoil, particularly Sarah’s cousin Sabrina Misseri and her parents, Cosima Serrano Spagnolo and Michele Misseri, who become key players in the unfolding drama.
As the search for Sarah intensifies, the media descends upon Avetrana, transforming the quiet town into a spectacle of grief and conjecture. The series examines how this sudden influx of attention affects the investigation and the lives of the residents, some of whom find themselves thrust into an unwelcome spotlight.
This Is Not Hollywood: Avetrana features a cast of Italian actors, including Federica Pala as Sarah, Giulia Perulli as Sabrina, Vanessa Scalera as Cosima, and Paolo De Vita as Michele. Imma Villa, Anna Ferzetti, and Giancarlo Commare also star.
