Michelle Trachtenberg was reportedly working on a big project before her untimely death at age 39
Director Casey Tebo told TMZ on Monday, March 3, that Trachtenberg had written a screenplay based on the book Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel. According to Tebo, it was one of the best screenplays he’d read and the pair were in talks with a studio to make the potential film a reality.
Toy Monster is an exposé written by Jerry Oppenheimer. The book divulges into the dark side of the toy company behind Barbie, Hot Wheels and more.
Tebo and the studio have reportedly paused the discussions following Trachtenberg’s unexpected passing, according to the director. However, Tebo said he is determined to have the project proceed at some point in honor of the late actress.
Michelle Trachtenberg Was Set to Make SXSW Appearance Before Her Death
Us Weekly confirmed on February 26 that Trachtenberg was found unconscious inside her New York City apartment. Police sources told Us that the incident was not believed to be suspicious. Trachtenberg’s rep later confirmed her death. She was 39.
“It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away,” Trachtenberg’s rep told Us in a statement. “The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time.”
Many of Trachtenberg’s former costars and friends took to social media to pay their respects.
“Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you,” Sarah Michelle Gellar, who starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer alongside Trachtenberg, wrote via Instagram in February, quoting a scene between their characters before adding in Trachtenberg’s iconic line from the series’ musical episode: “‘The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you.’ 
.’”
Princess Eugenie, a longtime friend of the late actress, also penned a touching tribute for her pal.
“Goodbye, special friend. You are so loved and missed,” Eugenie, 34, wrote via her Instagram Stories last month. “Thank you for so many memories of laughter and fun. You were so thoughtful and generous and soooo funny.”
Michelle Trachtenberg’s Final Instagram Posts Were Hollywood Throwbacks
One day after news broke of her passing, Trachtenberg’s cause of death was officially listed as “undetermined” because her family objected to an autopsy, the city medical examiner’s office told the New York Post.
Multiple sources told Us that Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant before her death. It is unclear whether the medical procedure played a role.
Before her passing, Trachtenberg was reportedly expected to make a public appearance at the upcoming SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Trachtenberg had a role in the film Spyral, which will be screened at SXSW.
