Oscar-winning producer of The Last Emperor and Sexy Beast dies aged 77 – days before latest movie’s premiere

OSCAR-WINNING producer Jeremy Thomas, known for films including The Last Emperor and Sexy Beast, has died aged 77 – days before the premier of his latest movie. A statement confirmed that Thomas “passed away peacefully” surrounded by his family and loved ones at his country home in Oxfordshire on Friday. Producer Jeremy Thomas has passed away aged 77 Credit: Getty Thomas celebrates winning Best Picture for The Last Emperor in 1988 Credit: Getty Thomas was a celebrated figure in the film industry who had worked with international directors including Bernardo Bertolucci, David Cronenberg and Matteo Garrone through his decades-long career. His other best-known films include 1990 drama The Sheltering Sky, led by John Malkovich and Debra Winger, as well as 2015 dystopian thriller High-Rise, starring Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons. Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter Thank you! The British producer carved a name for himself with the mainstream success of The Last Emperor, a 1987 biographical drama film about the life of Puyi, the final monarch of China’s Qing dynasty. The film, directed by Bertolucci and starring Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole and Vivian Wu, received high critical acclaim and won nine Academy Awards including best picture. Thomas went on to have four other collaborations with Bertolucci during his film career extending into the early 2000s, on The Sheltering Sky, Little Buddha, Stealing Beauty and The Dreamers. Despite being based in London throughout his career, Thomas dedicated himself to working with directors from across the world. He received an outstanding European achievement in world cinema award from the European Film Academy in 2006. His latest collaboration with Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike, titled Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday. Most read in Showbiz Comment now