Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for her roles in Harriet the Spy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Gossip Girl, ventured into screenwriting before her untimely death on February 26 at the age of 39. As an adaptation of Jerry Oppenheimer’s book uncovering the eccentric corporate culture of the toy company Mattel, she penned a screenplay тιтled Toy Monster in 2019, which delves into the tumultuous life of a 1950s toy executive. ​

In an interview with People, producer Casey Tebo, who was attached to the project, revealed he’s still trying to get a studio to buy it. Since posting about Trachtenberg’s script on social media, an “angel investor” has reached out and reinvigorated his hopes of getting the late actor’s project off the ground. Read what he had to say below:

I don’t remember when, but my dear friend Jay Cohen [Michelle’s boyfriend] sent me a script she had written called “Toy Monster.” 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.​

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. It’s about the struggle for credit, compensation, and recognition for success. Something Hollywood knows nothing about, I’m sure.

We’re putting the pieces together to get this film made for Michelle. Maybe Michelle is looking out for us. I’ve never been a supersтιтious or spiritual person, but things like that are hard to deny.

What This Means For Michelle Trachtenberg’s Script

A Chance To Honor The Multi-Talented Actor

Michelle Trachtenberg made her mark in Hollywood as Dawn Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl, but her script on Toy Monster is set to prove she was just as talented behind the camera. Producer Casey Tebo has been championing the screenplay alongside Trachtenberg’s long-time partner and talent agent Jay Cohen. Tebo produced Seth Green’s directorial debut with Changeland in 2019, before directing Black Friday in 2020, a sci-fi horror action film starring Bruce Campbell and Devon Sawa.

Jerry Oppenheimer’s book Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel, explores the power struggles and drama behind one of the world’s biggest toy companies—documenting the fallout between Mattel founders Ruth and Elliot Handler and toy designer Jack Ryan. Mattel itself has ventured into filmmaking, and achieved major success with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. The film grossed a whopping $1.6 billion in 2023, prompting Mattel to finance several upcoming live-action adaptations of iconic toy lines such as Barney, Masters of the Universe, and Matchbox.

Our Take On Toy Monster

Hollywood Should Pay Attention To Toy Monster

Getting Toy Monster made would be a triumph—not just for those championing it, but for Trachtenberg’s legacy. Having spent her life in the industry, this film would allow her to posthumously prove her talent as a writer and storyteller, breaking past the teen TV dramas that Hollywood often confined her to.

Although, I imagine the industry’s reluctance may stem from a concern over Mattel. As the company expanded its film slate after Barbie’s success, studios might be hesitant to back a project that could stir controversy with the toy giant. But a great script is a great script, and Toy Monster deserves a sH๏τ. Hopefully, a few more angel investors may be just enough to bring Michelle Trachtenberg’s vision to the big screen.

Source: People