Astronomical

Star Wars Reportedly Paid Harrison Ford 50 Times More than His Young Co-stars

You’ve got a lot to learn, kids.
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How much does it cost to get Harrison Ford to slip back into those snug smuggler pants to play Han Solo? Reportedly, eight figures. That should be more than enough to pay off Jabba the Hutt.

Variety reports Ford’s salary as closer to $10 million to $20 million whereas The Guardian pegs it in the neighborhood of $34 million. But both outlets agree that in addition to millions of dollars upfront, Ford will also get some percentage of the profits from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and with the biggest worldwide opening of all time, that may add up to be a pretty significant chunk of change.

But the huge returns at the box office also mean that gambling on Ford to bring the nostalgia paid off handsomely for Lucasfilm and Disney. Ford had notoriously been uninterested in returning to the franchise that made him a star, so if it took certain elements of the script (spoiler) and a massive payday to get him there, I think we can probably agree it was the right move.

So how does Ford’s monstrous paycheck stack up to his co-stars? Variety reports that legacy actors Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher took home salaries in the low-seven-figure range ($1.5 million for Fisher, says The Guardian). Both Hamill and Fisher may see that price tag go up as their roles in the franchise expand. Despite being the future of the franchise, newcomers John Boyega and Daisy Ridley were paid in the $100,000 to $300,000 range given their lack of on-screen experience. Meanwhile Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac, both of whom have far more credits to their names, took home paychecks in the mid- to high-six figures.

But Variety reports that all these salaries only applied to the first film and will be renegotiated as the trilogy moves forward. With Episode VIII currently shooting, Ridley and Boyega have probably already landed themselves a sweeter deal. Fingers crossed they learned a thing or two from Han Solo.