Hollywood veteran Harrison Ford will rake in more than £23 million for his role in the new Star Wars blockbuster, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Insiders say Disney producers were so determined to get the 73-year-old to reprise his role as Han Solo for The Force Awakens that they agreed a £16.7 million fee.

Ford will also get a 0.5 per cent share of the film’s gross earnings, which are expected to break records by hitting at least £1.3 billion. It means the actor’s share could be worth £6.5 million.

Harrison Ford, pictured as Han Solo with Chewbacca, will rake in more than £23 million for his role in the new Star Wars blockbuster

His salary is more than 76 times greater than that of British newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega.

They received £300,000 each for their starring roles in the movie, which opened in UK cinemas on Thursday. However, once worldwide box-office takings have topped the $1 billion mark, the pair will also start to receive a small cut.

A Disney source explained: ‘Harrison is the key to making this movie work. He’s the link between the old generation and the new. 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.’

Ford was paid just under £7,000 when he first played Han Solo in the original 1977 Star Wars film. This time around, he has already had a payout of over £1 million in compensation for breaking his leg during shooting at Pinewood Studios.

Although their earnings are eclipsed by Ford, Londoners Miss Ridley and Mr Boyega, both 23, are said to have had no hesitation signing up.

See more of the latest news and updates on the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Leading lady: Daisy Ridley received £300,000 for her role in the film, which opened in UK cinemas on Thursday

The insider added: ‘Daisy’s a virtual unknown, and this is a career-making role, so she’d probably have been willing to take it for free – and Disney knew it.

‘She has been signed to a multi-picture deal with pre-set bumps in her salary that rise substantially with each movie. That doesn’t guarantee she’ll be in subsequent films, but it gives the studio peace of mind to know she’s contractually obliged if they want her again.’

American J. J. Abrams, 49, was paid £3.3 million to direct the film, plus a two per cent share of gross earnings. Disney paid just over $4 billion to buy Lucas Films, which make Star Wars, three years ago.

Carrie Fisher, 59, was paid just over £1 million to bring back Princess Leia.