Arne Olsen obit

Arne Olsen Dies: ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ Screenwriter Was 64

 He was not on the list.

Arne Olsen, a screenwriter whose credits include 1995’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and the 1993 comedy Cop and a Half directed by Henry Winkler and starring Burt Reynolds, died from complications related to cancer Saturday, April 4, in Vancouver, Canada. He was 64.

His death was announced to Deadline by wife Dianne Olsen.

A native of Vancouver, Olsen moved to Los Angeles at age 21 to pursue screenwriting. After graduating from the American Film Institute, Olsen was a co-writer on the 1998 action film Red Scorpion starring Dolph Lundgren.

His next project, a spec script for Cop and a Half (sometimes styled as Cop & 1/2), was produced by Imagine Entertainment and released by Universal. Reynolds co-starred with young actor Norman D. Golden II in a Kindergarten Cop-style comedy about a detective who gets paired with an eight-year-old murder witness to solve the crime.

Olsen’s subsequent credits included, among others, Red Scorpion 2 (1994), All Dogs Go To Heaven 2 (1996), the 1997 TV-movie Escape from Atlantis and the 2007 horror film Hybrid starring a pre-Glee Cory Monteith.

Mighty Morphins Power Rangers: The Movie was released in 1995 by 20th Century Fox between the second and third seasons of the popular Mighty Morphins TV series.

In 2000, Olsen wrote and directed the Canadian feature film dramedy Here’s To Life! starring Eric McCormack (Will and Grace). The film was nominated for eight Genie Awards, including for actors James Whitmore and Kim Hunter, winning for its original score.

Olsen’s most recent screenwriting credit was 2018’s Distorted starring John Cusack and Christina Ricci. He also taught screenwriting at Capilano (British Columbia) University and Vancouver Film School and served as a story editor on numerous films.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by children Ryan and Alyssa.

Writer

John Cusack and Christina Ricci in Distorted (2018)

Distorted

4.4

Writer

2018

 

Lou Diamond Phillips and Lulu Wilson in Cop and a Half: New Recruit (2017)

Cop and a Half: New Recruit

5.3

TV Movie

based on stories and characters bystory by

2017

 

Richard de Klerk, Amanda Crew, and Dustin Milligan in Repeaters (2010)

Repeaters

5.7

written by

2010

 

Hybrid (2007)

Hybrid

3.3

TV Movie

written by

2007

 

Tyler Hoechlin and Kate Todd in Grizzly Rage (2007)

Grizzly Rage

2.6

TV Movie

written by

2007

 

Tia Carrere in Relic Hunter (1999)

Relic Hunter

6.5

TV Series

Writer (as Arnie Olsen)

2002

1 episode

 

Here's to Life! (2000)

Here's to Life!

5.7

Writer

2000

 

Coming Unglued (1999)

Coming Unglued

4.6

TV Movie

storyteleplay

1999

 

Kristina Anapau and Mercedes McNab in Escape from Atlantis (1997)

Escape from Atlantis

3.4

TV Movie

written by

1997

 

Charlie Sheen, Ernest Borgnine, Dom DeLuise, Sheena Easton, George Hearn, and Adam Wylie in All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996)

All Dogs Go to Heaven 2

5.5

screenplay by

1996

 

Amy Jo Johnson, Karan Ashley, Jean Paul Bell, Johnny Yong Bosch, Steve Cardenas, Kerry Casey, Julia Cortez, Jason David Frank, Mark Ginther, and David Yost in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1995)

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

5.3

storyscreenplay

1995

 

Michael Ironside, John Savage, and Matt McColm in Red Scorpion 2 (1994)

Red Scorpion 2

3.5

based on characters created by

1994

 

John Hurt, Charo, Jodi Benson, Carol Channing, Gino Conforti, Kendall Cunningham, Tawny Sunshine Glover, Gilbert Gottfried, Gary Imhoff, Joe Lynch, and Michael Nunes in Thumbelina (1994)

Thumbelina

6.3

screenplay by

1994

 

Lorenzo Lamas in Final Round (1994)

Final Round

4.3

Video

written by

1994

 

Burt Reynolds and Norman D. Golden II in Cop & ½ (1993)

Cop & ½

4.2

written by

1993

 

Michael Ironside, Joanna Pacula, and Michael Nouri in Black Ice (1992)

Black Ice

4.7

written by

1992

 

Dolph Lundgren in Red Scorpion (1988)

Red Scorpion

5.2

story byscreenplay by

1988

 

Actor

Here's to Life! (2000)

Here's to Life!

5.7

Beefy Guy

2000

 

Lorenzo Lamas in Final Round (1994)

Final Round

4.3

Video

Halsey MacKenzie

1994

 

Michael Ironside, Joanna Pacula, and Michael Nouri in Black Ice (1992)

Black Ice

4.7

Eric Weaver

1992

 

Ain't No Way Back (1988)

Ain't No Way Back

5.4

Hillbilly

1988

 

Director

Here's to Life! (2000)

Here's to Life!

5.7

Director

2000

 

Producer

Coming Unglued (1999)

Coming Unglued

4.6

TV Movie

associate producer

1999

 

Script and Continuity Department

Aleks Paunovic, Jamie Bamber, Colin Cunningham, Stefanie von Pfetten, and Marie Avgeropoulos in Numb (2015)

Numb

5.6

story editor: Praxis

2015

 

Additional Crew

Ill Fated (2004)

Ill Fated

6.6

story editor (as Arne Olsen Jr.)

2004

 

Self

The 13th Annual Leo Awards

The 13th Annual Leo Awards

6.4

TV Special

Self - Nominee: Best Screenwritting in a Feature Length Drama

2011