Renowned British Indie Producer Jeremy Thomas Dies at Age 77

Jeremy Thomas, a leading figure in independent film production, passed away at 77 after a career that spanned more than half a century and encompassed over 80 features. He founded the Recorded Picture Company and later Hanway Films, using both to promote daring auteur work and international cinema. Thomas earned a Best Picture Oscar for Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor” in 1988 and received a European Film Award for Outstanding European Achievement in World Cinema in 2006.

His recent output included Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard,” which debuted at the Venice Film Festival, and Takashi Miike’s “Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo,” set to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Earlier in his life, he worked in film cutting rooms, edited Ken Loach’s TV short, and produced his first feature, “Mad Dog Morgan,” in Australia. He was the son of director Ralph Thomas and nephew of Gerald Thomas, linking him to a legacy of British filmmaking.