ⓒCourtesy of Anoush Abrar

British film producer Jeremy Thomas, known for his 1987 Academy Award-winning film “The Last Emperor“, has passed away.

He was 77. On Saturday, Thomas’ team stated that he passed away peacefully on Friday at his country home in Oxfordshire, with his family and loved ones by his side.

Thomas was born in London on July 26, 1949, and comes from a family deeply involved in the entertainment industry. His father, Ralph Thomas, directed over 40 films, including “The 39 Steps” and sequels to the “Doctor” series, whereas his uncle Gerald Thomas helmed “Carry On” films.

Thomas established the Recorded Picture Co. before co-founding HanWay Films. He created over eighty films, collaborating with directors such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Jonathan Glazer, David Cronenberg, Christopher Hampton, and Nagisa Oshima. Thomas notably created Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor“, a film that at the 1987 Academy Awards swept the stage, taking home nine Oscars, including best picture, the film was also awarded the BAFTA for best picture. In 2006, he was awarded the European Film Award for notable achievements in world cinema.

His other notable producing credits include David Cronenberg’s “Crash“, Jonathan Glazer’s “Sexy Beast“ and Nagisa Oshima’s “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence“, among others.

Thomas’ passing was reported as two of his films were being screened in the fall festival. Produced by Thomas, Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard” competed at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, whereas Takashi Miike’s “Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo“, one of his other producing projects, is scheduled to premiere on Monday at the Toronto International Film Festival.

I had a pleasure to interview him once for his documentary called, “The Storm of Jeremy Thomas.”

Here’s my interview : https://cinemadailyus.com/?p=19183