Warren Skaaren

Writing • 1946-03-09 • Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Warren Skaaren (March 9, 1946 in Rochester, Minnesota – December 28, 1990 in Austin, Texas from cancer) was an American screenwriter and film producer.  His notable writing includes: Batman (1989), Beetlejuice (1988), Beverly Hills Cop 2 (1987) and Fire with Fire (1986). He was also credited as associate producer for Top Gun (1986), for which he wrote a draft. He had also written an unproduced sequel to The Jewel of the Nile (1985) called The Crimson Eagle. Skaaren graduated from Rice University in Houston, Texas in 1969. He moved to Austin, Texas and began working at the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. He was appointed by Governor Preston Smith as executive director of the newly formed Texas Film Commission on December 9, 1970. His first success was getting the film The Getaway shot in Texas. Nearly forty more feature films were shot in Texas while Skaaren headed the Film Commission. He was a driving force behind the distribution of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a film in which he took a personal financial stake. The success of the film enabled Skaaren to leave the Film Commission and begin his career in the film industry.