Michelle Trachtenberg was on the verge of closing a deal for a screenplay she had been shopping for years before her death, TMZ has learned.

Director and producer Casey Tebo tells TMZ the late actress wrote one of the best screenplays he’s ever read — “Toy Monster,” based on the book of the same name — and they had been close to landing studio support in the weeks before she died.

The biopic-drama follows the controversial life of Jack Ryan — who left a job designing missiles for the Pentagon during the Cold War to become chief engineer for Mattel during the creation of the Barbie doll, Chatty Cathy and Hot Wheels. Apparently Ryan had a naughty side — living a life of excess as he was making some of the most significant toys of the century.

He feels the most “tragic” part of the screenplay is how neglected Michelle’s talents were by industry honchos who only saw her as the witty schoolgirl from “Harriet the Spy,” the hot girl from “EuroTrip” and the evil genius villain Georgina from “Gossip Girl.” He sees this as the project that will give her the recognition she deeply deserved.

As fans know … the “Ice Princess” star was pronounced dead last Wednesday after her mom found her unresponsive in her New York City apartment. Her family has declined an autopsy, meaning her cause of death is undetermined.

TMZ learned Michelle had a liver transplant just months before her passing, though it’s unclear if that played a role in her sudden death.

Shannen Doherty’s death last year was a devastating loss to the industry … so it came as an even bigger shock that she wasn’t honored in the Oscars ‘In Memoriam’ segment, her loved ones tell us.

A longtime rep for Shannen tells TMZ it was really disappointing not to see her included in the tribute Sunday night, especially since she had been a part of the Hollywood community for over 45 years.

Fans were shocked by the snub too, calling out the Academy for ignoring her death — some called it “disrespectful,” while others said even if she wasn’t honored, Shannen would always be in their hearts.

SD’s omission wasn’t the only one people noticed — Olivia Hussey wasn’t mentioned, and Michelle Trachtenberg was also left out of the In Memoriam, just days after her shocking death.

NFL offensive lineman Ben Cleveland filed to divorce his wife a little over two weeks after he was arrested for DUI, TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records we obtained show the Baltimore Ravens guard submitted the docs in Baldwin County, Ga. on Feb. 28 … just 16 days after he was thrown behind bars following claims he had been drinking and driving in the same county.

The docs make no mention of the arrest … Cleveland stated in them that he was seeking to split from Kaitlyn Terrell Cleveland “because of adultery.”

As we previously reported, the footballer was jailed just two days before Valentine’s Day last month — after cops say he blew a .178 during a traffic stop. The 6-foot-7, 315-pounder was issued two citations — one for DUI – alcohol and another for failure to maintain lane — over the allegations.