Jeremy Thomas, the Oscar-winning British film producer behind The Last Emperor and Sexy Beast, has died at the age of 77. He passed away peacefully at his country home in Oxfordshire on Friday, surrounded by family, just days before the premiere of his latest project. His death marks the loss of a major figure in independent cinema, celebrated for his decades of collaboration with acclaimed international directors and his commitment to bold, individual filmmaking.

Thomas's breakthrough came with 1987's The Last Emperor, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, which won nine Academy Awards including Best Picture; he went on to make four further films with Bertolucci. His extensive credits also include The Sheltering Sky, High-Rise, three collaborations with Nicolas Roeg, and works with David Cronenberg, Jonathan Glazer and Ben Wheatley, among others. He began his career on the cutting-room floor before producing his first film, Mad Dog Morgan, in 1976, and was later made a CBE in 2009. His final work, Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo with director Takashi Miike, was due to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on the Monday following his death.