Harrison Ford is expected to earn over $34 million for his starring role as Hans Solo in his latest blockbuster film, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
According to The Guardian, Ford reenacted his role in the space film saga with an upfront payment of $25 million from the producers of Disney. If the latest "Star Wars" installment hits the $2 billion mark at the box office, the actor could get as much as $9 million as his 0.5% share of the film's total gross earnings.
"Harrison is the key to making this movie work," according to a Disney source, who explained that the 73-year-old actor is the link between the old and the new generations.
"Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were good to get, but the film could have lived without them. You couldn't make it without Harrison Ford," the source added.
The total figure of Ford's salary was said to be 56 times more than the $450,000 flat fee of the newest cast, British stars Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. The two are also entitled to receive a share when the film saga hits $1 billion gross earnings.
On the other hand, Carrie Fisher also reprised her role as Leia Organa. She received $1.5 million for her performance, which is far below Ford's earnings.
Earlier reports predicted that "The Force Awakens" will beat Avatar as the highest grossing film of all time. If that happens, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will be a mega-hit blockbuster film with over $2.7 billion world box office earnings. Along with that, Ford will be tossed to the top 10 highest-paid annual earners list.
Meanwhile, J.J Abrams could bag a $60 million payday if the "The Force Awakens" beats "Avatar." He reportedly earned $5 million and will get a two percent cut for the total gross earnings of the sci-fi film.
Disney has been generating high profits from "The Force Awakens" despite the large payouts, with its North American box office record reaching $238 million over the weekend.