Oscar-Winning Film Producer Jeremy Thomas Passes Away at 77
Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas dies at 77, leaving legacy in film industry with works like The Last Emperor and High-Rise.
POLICY WIRE — Oxfordshire, United Kingdom — Jeremy Thomas, an Oscar-winning film producer known for his work on acclaimed films such as *The Last Emperor* and *Sexy Beast*, has passed away at the age of 77, according to his publicist.
The news was confirmed through a statement to the Press Association, which noted that Thomas “passed away peacefully” at his country home in Oxfordshire on Friday, surrounded by family and loved ones.
A prominent figure in global cinema, Thomas collaborated with renowned directors including Bernardo Bertolucci, David Cronenberg, and Nicolas Roeg throughout his decades-long career. His filmography includes *The Sheltering Sky*, *High-Rise*, and *Bad Timing*, among others, and he played a key role in bringing international voices to the screen through independent and artistic projects.
Thomas gained widespread recognition for his work on *The Last Emperor*, a 1987 biographical drama directed by Bertolucci and starring Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole, and Vivian Wu. The film received critical acclaim and won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. He continued to work with Bertolucci on several other projects, including *Little Buddha* and *The Dreamers*.
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His career began in the late 1970s, with his first producing role on *Mad Dog Morgan*, a 1976 Australian film about a 19th-century outlaw. Despite being based in London, Thomas remained committed to working with filmmakers from around the world, often favoring unique and unconventional stories.
In addition to his collaborations with Bertolucci, Thomas worked with Nicolas Roeg on films such as *Bad Timing* and *Insignificance*, and with David Cronenberg on *A Dangerous Method*. He also contributed to *Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence*, a 1983 war film starring David Bowie, and received an award from the European Film Academy in 2006 for his contributions to world cinema.
Thomas was honored with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours. His most recent project, *Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo*, a collaboration with Japanese director Takashi Miike, is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this Monday.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
