Jeremy Thomas, a titan of British independent film production whose career spanned over 50 years, has died at age 77. Thomas peacefully passed away at his Oxfordshire home on September 11, with family and close friends by his side.
Throughout his distinguished career, Thomas produced more than 80 feature films and established himself as a champion of visionary filmmakers and international cinema. He founded the Recorded Picture Company and later co-founded Hanway Films, collaborating with acclaimed directors including Bernardo Bertolucci, David Cronenberg, Werner Herzog, and Wim Wenders. His most celebrated achievement came in 1988 when he won the Academy Award for Best Picture as a producer of Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor,” which earned nine Oscars total.
Thomas’s impressive filmography includes “Sexy Beast,” “Crash,” “A Dangerous Method,” and “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence,” among many others. He continued working until the end of his life, with his latest project, “Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo,” directed by Takashi Miike, scheduled to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 14. In 2006, Thomas received the European Film Award for Outstanding European Achievement in World Cinema, and in 2021, he was the subject of Mark Cousins’ documentary “The Storms of Jeremy Thomas.”
Originally reported by Variety →
About the Author
