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George Lucas Gets $2 Billion In Stock From Disney

$2 Billion Dollar Man
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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 05: George Lucas attends the Dedication of The Sumner M. Redstone Production Building at USC on February 5, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images)

As "Star Wars" fans work themselves into a lather about J.J. Abrams and standalone movies, "Star Wars" creator George Lucas is getting paid. According to TheWrap, Disney has awarded Lucas 37 million shares of its company stock as part of the October 2012 deal the company made to acquire Lucas's famed Lucasfilm production house and the "Star Wars" properties. All told, the 37 million shares could be worth over $2 billion for Lucas.

That Lucas received the stock shares is anything but a surprise. In the press release announcing Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, it was stipulated that half of the $4.05 billion purchase price would come from stock shares:

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.

Lucas has previously stated a desire to donate the money to fund education.

“For 41 years, the majority of my time and money has been put into the company,” Lucas said last year. “As I start a new chapter in my life, it is gratifying that I have the opportunity to devote more time and resources to philanthropy.”

With Lucas in philanthropy mode, the "Star Wars" films have been left to producer Kathleen Kennedy and, now, Abrams. The "Star Trek" director was hired to make "Episode VII," with "Empire Strikes Back" screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan onboard to consult in other "Star Wars" projects. As EW.com reported on Wednesday, those extra "Star Wars" films could include a Han Solo movie.

For more on Lucas's payday, head over to TheWrap. Check out some possible young Han Solo's in the gallery below.

[via TheWrap]

Who Should Play Young Han Solo?
Sam Claflin(01 of19)
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Forget it, everyone; it's Claflin-town. (See "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," "Snow White and The Huntsman," "Catching Fire" and his vest.) (credit:Getty Images)
Chace Crawford(02 of19)
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When you stop laughing about Crawford, consider that before "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope," Harrison Ford was best known for playing horndog hotshot Bob Falfa in "American Graffiti." (credit:Getty Images)
Garrett Hedlund(03 of19)
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Give CinemaBlend editor Katey Rich credit for this one: "Hedlund is 29 and could play younger if need be, and has both the good looks and the physicality to convincingly grow up to become Harrison Ford." (credit:Getty Images)
Dane DeHaan(04 of19)
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DeHaan looks like a young Leonardo DiCaprio IRL and acts like a young Ryan Gosling in "The Place Beyond The Pines." He's sneaky old (27), but why couldn't he grow up to be Harrison Ford, too? (credit:Getty Images)
Taylor Kitsch(05 of19)
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Because Josh Holloway and Nathan Fillion are too old. (credit:Getty Images)
Jeremy Jordan(06 of19)
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Squint and he kind of looks like Harrison Ford. (Also, thanks to the terrible "Smash" season premiere ratings, he'll have some free time on the calendar soon enough.) (credit:Getty Images)
Liam Hemsworth(07 of19)
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Because every list of young actors under 30 needs two Hemsworths. (credit:Getty Images)
Chris Hemsworth(08 of19)
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Here's No. 2. (credit:Getty Images)
Eddie Redmayne(09 of19)
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Eddie Redmayne looks nothing like Harrison Ford, and is so British that he probably bathes in Earl Grey. That said, the "Les Miserables" star is knocking on the door of franchise stardom: he was on the "short lists" for "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." Hollywood executives want to give this guy a big shot -- and his work with the Wachowskis in "Jupiter Ascending" could be the launching pad to "Star Wars." (credit:Getty Images)
Jim Sturgess(10 of19)
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Find and replace on the Redmayne blurb. (credit:Getty Images)
Zachary Levi(11 of19)
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Call him a poor man's Redmayne. Levi has been on the cusp of fame for awhile, and -- better yet -- has instant cred with the Comic-Con crowd thanks to his role on "Chuck." Unfortunately, he might be too old to play a guy younger than Harrison Ford in "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope." (He's already 32.) (credit:Getty Images)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt(12 of19)
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That scene in "(500) Days of Summer." (credit:Getty Images)
Jai Courtney(13 of19)
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From John McClane, Jr. to young Han Solo? (credit:Getty Images)
Zac Efron(14 of19)
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After getting peed on by Nicole Kidman, Efron deserves a break. (credit:AP)
Michael Angarano(15 of19)
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Not only could he pass for young Harrison Ford, but he possesses a youthful enthusiasm despite his age (25) that suits the character. (credit:Getty Images)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson(16 of19)
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No movie would suffer from having Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the lead. (Except maybe "Savages.") (credit:Getty Images)
Matt Lauria(17 of19)
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If Kitsch is busy. (credit:Getty Images)
Skylar Astin(18 of19)
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Real talk for one second: Skylar Astin is your next big movie star. He oozes charisma, looks the part of a space smuggler and gives the Han Solo movie a connection to "Pitch Perfect." (credit:Getty Images)
Shia LaBeouf(19 of19)
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If at first you don't succeed ... (credit:AP)

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