ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Oscar-Winning Producer Jeremy Thomas Dies at 77

other · 2026-09-12

Jeremy Thomas, the British film producer renowned for winning an Academy Award for The Last Emperor directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, passed away peacefully at his Oxfordshire residence on Friday at the age of 77, as confirmed by his publicist. Throughout his impressive five-decade career, he partnered with notable directors such as David Cronenberg and Nagisa Oshima, championing both independent cinema and mainstream hits. The Last Emperor garnered nine Oscars, including best picture, which earned Thomas the producer statuette in 1988. His filmography features titles like Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, A Dangerous Method, and adaptations of J.G. Ballard's Crash. He was honored with the European Film Academy's award in 2006 and became a CBE in 2009. His latest project, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, will debut at the Toronto Film Festival on Monday.

Key facts

  • Jeremy Thomas died at 77 at his home in Oxfordshire on Friday.
  • He won an Oscar for producing The Last Emperor, which won nine Academy Awards including best picture.
  • His career spanned five decades and included collaborations with David Cronenberg, Nagisa Oshima, Julien Temple, and Nicolas Roeg.
  • He produced multiple Bertolucci films: The Sheltering Sky, Little Buddha, Stealing Beauty, and The Dreamers.
  • He supported early works by British directors Ben Wheatley, Jonathan Glazer, Stephen Frears, and David Mackenzie.
  • His first production role was on the 1976 Australian film Mad Dog Morgan.
  • He received the European Film Academy's Outstanding European Achievement in World Cinema award in 2006 and was made a CBE in 2009.
  • His final collaboration with Takashi Miike, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, premieres at the Toronto Film Festival on Monday.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Academy Awards
  • European Film Academy
  • Toronto Film Festival

Locations

  • Oxfordshire
  • United Kingdom
  • London
  • Australia
  • China
  • Japan
  • Toronto
  • Canada

Sources