Having first launched his company in 1974, Jeremy Thomas is still busy hatching new projects: “Cinema is my passion”
Need to know: The oldest company on Screen’s list, Recorded Picture Company (RPC) was formed by Jeremy Thomas in 1974, and its illustrious list of award-winning features includes The Last Emperor, Naked Lunch, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, Crash and Bad Timing.
RPC has nurtured younger UK filmmakers (David Mackenzie, Jonathan Glazer), collaborated regularly with Asian talent (Takashi Miike, Takeshi Kitano) and been involved in features from European auteurs such as Jerzy Skolimowski and Matteo Garrone. Now in his mid-70s, the indomitable Thomas is busily hatching new projects, “still trucking” as he puts it. He sold his sales company HanWay Films to Cohen Media Group in 2022.
Key personnel: Jeremy Thomas, founder; Alainée Kent, head of development; Matthew Baker, production executive; Ivan Kelava, production and business affairs.
Incoming: Neon-backed Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo from Miike will be released next spring and RPC has further projects with the Japanese director in the pipeline. Jan Komasa’s Good Boy, sold by HanWay, premiered at TIFF and will be distributed in the UK by Signature. Julien Temple’s feature doc I Am Curious Johnny, about photographer, collector and designer Jean ‘Johnny’ Pigozzi, premiered at Rome Film Fest. And Thomas is still battling to finance Stephen Frears’ $14m Billy Wilder movie Wilder & Me, and Rupert Everett project Lost & Found In Paris. He is also looking to develop some of his vaunted IP for television.
Jeremy Thomas says: “My life only works when I’m making films. It’s my hobby, my passion. I still believe cinema is mightily important. From the beginning, I was an international filmmaker but the reality now is that I can’t announce a film for pre-sales and sell it for a decent percentage of the budget by launching at a market with script, cast and director. I’m optimistic that film is going to remain a very important discipline but cinema itself cannot be the driver of the economy of a film. A lot of effort now goes into financing the film rather than making it.”
Contact: rpc@recordedpicture.com
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