Jeremy Thomas, the acclaimed British film producer behind the Oscar-winning movie The Last Emperor, has died at the age of 77.
His family announced his death on Saturday, saying Thomas died peacefully at his country home in Oxfordshire, England, late Friday, Sept. 11.
“Jeremy Thomas, the celebrated British producer of The Last Emperor and of over 40 other films, has died,” his family said in a statement.
They added that he was surrounded by family and loved ones when he died.
Thomas built a remarkable career in the film industry, earning more than 80 feature film credits and developing a reputation for backing ambitious, unconventional and often challenging movies.
He is perhaps best known for producing Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 epic The Last Emperor, which became a major critical and commercial success and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Thomas worked with Bertolucci on five films over the course of his career.
His other notable credits included David Cronenberg’s Crash, Christopher Hampton’s A Dangerous Method and Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast.
Thomas also worked with director Terry Gilliam on Tideland and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.
Gilliam paid tribute to Thomas following his death, saying he felt “lucky” to have worked with him and describing the producer as “a joy.”
“He was fearless in getting some very unlikely films financed and released, often to worldwide success,” Gilliam told Variety. “The list is remarkable in range and absolutely unforgettable in quality.”
Oscar-nominated director Luca Guadagnino also honored Thomas.
Guadagnino had interviewed him for Joie de Vivre, an extensive documentary about Bertolucci.
“Thomas’ death leaves a gigantic void,” Guadagnino said. “The space he was fulfilling was a space of pure cinema.”
Throughout his decades-long career, Thomas became known for supporting filmmakers with distinctive visions and helping bring unusual projects to the screen when other producers might have considered them too risky.
His work stretched across genres and generations, from intimate dramas to controversial films and large-scale international productions.
Thomas leaves behind a film legacy spanning more than 80 feature credits and some of the most memorable movies of the past several decades.
His cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
Liberate Bible Study