Overview
- Thomas died peacefully at his Oxfordshire home on Friday, Sept. 11, his family said, and no cause of death has been disclosed.
- Across a five-decade career he founded the Recorded Picture Company, co‑founded HanWay Films and produced more than 80 features, winning the Best Picture Oscar for Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor.
- He built a reputation for financing daring, director‑led films and worked repeatedly with major auteurs including Bernardo Bertolucci, David Cronenberg, Jonathan Glazer, Werner Herzog and Takashi Miike.
- Two of his most recent credits are on the festival circuit: Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard played in Venice and Takashi Miike’s Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo is due to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 14, making them the first public releases of his final work.
- Thomas is survived by his wife Eski (Vivien Coughman) and three children, and his death has prompted broad industry tributes and renewed attention to his role in bringing international, risk‑taking cinema to screens worldwide.