Jeremy Thomas, Producer of Oscar-Winning ‘The Last Emperor,’ Dies at 77
Jeremy Thomas, the British film producer known for his work on the 1987 Oscar-winning film The Last Emperor, has died. He was 77.
Thomas’ team announced Saturday that he died peacefully Friday at his country home in Oxfordshire, surrounded by his family and loved ones.
Born in London on July 26, 1949, Thomas came from a family rooted in the entertainment industry. His father, Ralph Thomas, directed more than 40 films, including The 39 Steps and installments of the Doctor franchise, while his uncle Gerald Thomas directed Carry On films.
Thomas founded the Recorded Picture Co. and later co-founded HanWay Films. He produced more than 80 features, working with filmmakers including Bernardo Bertolucci, Jonathan Glazer, David Cronenberg, Christopher Hampton and Nagisa Oshima.
Thomas notably produced Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, which swept the 1987 Academy Awards, winning nine Oscars, including best picture. The film also won the BAFTA for best film. In 2006, he received a European Film Award for outstanding European achievement in world cinema.
His other producing credits include Cronenberg’s Crash, Hampton’s A Dangerous Method, Glazer’s Sexy Beast and Oshima’s Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, among others.
In addition to producing, Thomas directed the 1998 feature All the Little Animals, starring Christian Bale and John Hurt.
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in August 2025, Thomas reflected on his filmmaking career. “I was at the tail end of the golden age of cinema, when films made money in the cinema before VHS was even thought about. That’s where I come from,” he said. “And to continue working, to continue being relevant, I have to mutate. And that’s a fact, and I accept it.”
News of Thomas’ death came as one of his films, Takashi Miike’s Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, is set to premiere Monday at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Sept. 17, 9.35 a.m.: This story has been updated to remove Thomas’ involvement in Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard.
