Michelle Trachtenberg was on the verge of a major career comeback before tragic death at 39

Michelle Trachtenberg was working on a new project before her tragic death at age 39 last week.

The Gossip Girl alum – who died shortly after undergoing a liver transplant – was shopping a screenplay she wrote to studios with director and producer Casey Tebo.

Tebo said the script, called Toy Monster, was one of the best he’d ever read, TMZ reported. 

It is based on the book of the same name and tells the story of Jack Ryan, who left his job designing missiles for the Pentagon during the Cold War era to become chief engineer at Mattel.

He was designing toys during the time that Barbie, Chatty Cathy and Hot Wheels and had a dark side, living a life of excess in his off hours. 

Michelle and Tebo had a deal at a studio for the film years ago but then the studio head left and the knew head didn’t want to make the film.

Michelle Trachtenberg was working on a new project before her tragic death at age 39 last week – pictured 2020 

Now, he’s determined to bring the Buffy the Vampire Slayer star’s final work to life.

According to the outlet, he feels the most ‘tragic’ part of the screenplay is how neglected Michelle’s talents were by Hollywood executives who only saw her as capable of the roles she played in Harriet the Spy, Euro Trip and others.

Tebo hopes that Michelle can get the recognition she deserves and that her fans are delighted about her talent for writing.

He is committed to finding a home for the script and bringing it to audiences. 

Michelle was found dead in her Manhattan apartment on February 26. Her cause of death will remain unknown as her family has declined having an autopsy done. 

Trachtenberg wast set to appear at a benefit screening of the movie Spyral during the annual SXSW film festival in Austin, Texas next month. 

Jennifer Hutchins, a Spyral producer, told TMZ that the movie team was aware of Michelle’s health issues and only expected her to attend the event — whether in-person or virtually — if she felt well enough.

In her final credit, Trachtenberg was cast to read excerpts from the diary of Randall White’s late wife Michelle Cody White.

The Gossip Girl alum was shopping a screenplay she wrote to studios with Director and producer Casey Tebo

Tebo said the script, called Toy Monster, was one of the best he’d ever read, TMZ reported

Michelle Trachtenberg, James Marsters, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Amber Benson, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, Nicholas Brendon, Emma Caulfield star in Buffy The Vampire Slayer 2003

The event will go on as scheduled, but will be tweaked to pay tribute to Trachtenberg in the wake of her untimely death.

Hutchins told the outlet that Michelle was ‘one of the sweetest, most gentle human beings I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.’

She added, ‘I could tell she cared deeply about people and using her voice for the greater good.’

The producer also gave a nod to the actress’ moving performance in Spyral, recalling that her voice work brought people on the set to tears.

There is no foul play suspected in her death. Sources told DailyMail.com that the actress had been battling alcohol issues. She had a liver transplant a few months before her death.

Patients can receive a liver transplant after damaging the vital organ through alcohol abuse, hepatitis C or liver disease.

Anyone who’s received a liver transplant due to alcohol abuse is advised to abstain from alcohol afterwards.

Trachtenberg was best known for her on role teen supernatural drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer spanning 2000-2003.

Michelle is seen here in a still from 1996’s Harriet the Spy

She played Buffy’s younger sister Dawn Summers in 66 episodes of the hit show.

The Brooklyn native also had a recurring role as ‘The Witch of the Upper East Side’ Georgina Sparks in 28 episodes of The CW teen soap Gossip Girl spanning 2008-2012.

She also appeared in the 1996 film Harriet the Spy when she was 10 years old, alongside Rosie O’Donnell.