Jeremy Thomas, the producer of the 1987 Oscar-winning film The Last Emperor, has died at the age of 77. His family announced his death on Saturday. “Jeremy Thomas, the celebrated British producer of The Last Emperor and of over 40 other films, has died,” his family wrote. “Thomas passed away peacefully at his country home in Oxfordshire late on Friday, [Sept.] 11th, surrounded by his family and loved ones.” The producer had more than 80 feature film credits, including David Cronenberg’s Crash, Christopher Hampton’s A Dangerous Method, and Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast. Terry Gilliam, who worked with Thomas on Tideland and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, told Variety he was “lucky” to have worked with Thomas, whom he described as “a joy... He was fearless in getting some very unlikely films financed and released, often to worldwide success. The list is remarkable in range and absolutely unforgettable in quality.” Oscar nominee Luca Guadagnino, who interviewed Thomas for his epic documentary Joie de Vivre, about Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci (with whom Thomas made five films) said that “Thomas’ death leaves a gigantic void. The space he was fulfilling was a space of pure cinema.” Thomas’ cause of death is unknown.
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