Michelle Trachtenberg was in the final stages of getting a screenplay approved before her sudden death last week.
Director and producer Casey Tebo revealed Monday that he had been working with the âGossip Girlâ star for years to secure production for âToy Monster,â which was based on Jerry Oppenheimerâs 2009 book exposing the âbig, bad world of Mattelâ and its controversial business practices.
Tebo, who helmed the 2021 film âBlack Friday,â raved to TMZ that Trachtenberg had one of the best screenplays he has ever read.
After years of going back and forth with different studios, the duo were in the process of getting a âvery successful finance studioâ on board just last month.
However, both Tebo and the unnamed studio paused their talks after Trachtenberg tragically died last week at the age of 39.
The filmmaker clarified that he is still determined to make the movie in the late actressâs honor because she wanted to see it come to fruition.
Tebo didnât immediately return Page Sixâs request for comment.
Trachtenberg was pronounced dead last Wednesday after her mom, Lana Trachtenberg, found her unconscious at her New York City apartment.
Sources told The Post that the âBuffy the Vampire Slayerâ had recently received a liver transplant.
It is unclear, however, what caused her death, as her family opted out of getting an autopsy for religious reasons. The cause has been ruled âundetermined.â
Prior to her death, Trachtenberg had sparked concerns for her health because of her physical appearance on her social media pages.
Despite clapping back at Instagram commenters and shutting down rumors she was âsickâ in January 2024, the âHarriet the Spyâ star was reportedly âstrugglingâ with undisclosed problems.
âShe told friends she was struggling,â a source told People last week. âShe was really, really sick and open with those in her circle about how much she was struggling.â
Sources also told Page Six that Trachtenberg looked to be âin very bad shapeâ while grabbing dinner at Italian restaurant Sartianoâs in NYC less than a week before she died.
One employee even mentioned that she looked so âfrailâ that she could barely âwalk down the stairs.â
Several of Trachtenbergâs former co-stars, including Blake Lively, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Chace Crawford, mourned her death by sharing social media tributes.
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