• Michelle Trachtenberg was also a writer, along with being a great actress.
• Before her death, she had been working on a screenplay titled Toy Monster.
• He recalled how the screenplay stood out among others.

Michelle Trachtenberg, who passed away on February 26 in New York, was not only a talented actress but also a gifted writer. Before her untimely death, the Gossip Girl alum had been working on a screenplay titled Toy Monster, based on Jerry Oppenheimer’s book of the same name.

Producer Casey Tebo, who was attached to the project, spoke to People about her dedication. “I don’t remember when, but my dear friend Jay Cohen (Michelle’s boyfriend) sent me a script she had written called Toy Monster,” Tebo said.

He recalled how the screenplay stood out among others. “The only scripts I remember staying with me like that in recent memory were two: Here Comes The Flood by Simon Kinberg and Toy Monster around 2019. Because they were the two best, by a landslide.”

However, Tebo noted that while Kinberg’s screenplay sold for seven figures, Trachtenberg’s script remained stagnant. Slamming Hollywood for typecasting, he said, “One of the issues with our industry is they will recognize someone like Simon as a great writer, but they will always look at Michelle as ‘Harriet the Spy’ or ‘Georgina Sparks.’”

“The truth is—Michelle was an incredible writer. But no one expects her to write like that,” he continued. “It’s about the struggle for credit, compensation, and recognition for success. Something Hollywood knows nothing about, I’m sure.”

Despite the challenges, Tebo revealed that they are committed to making Toy Monster a reality. “We’re piecing the scenes together to get it made for Michelle,” he confirmed.

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