The SF Gate has a fantastic new article on all of the financial success of Star Wars, the new movie and ILM:

"I predict this 'Star Wars' will do $1 billion in worldwide box office," Davis said. "The top-end blockbusters make about $250 million profit. Lucas certainly doesn't need this money, (but) he can write his own ticket. He can do anything he wants."

Lucas, who has directed only five films in his 30-year career, including "Clones" and the first "Star Wars" movie in 1977, finances his films with his own money. He has no outside investors and evidently doesn't need any. In December, Forbes magazine estimated Lucas's personal worth at $3 billion.

Despite his wealth and mainstream icon status, Lucas is every bit as much an independent filmmaker as any goateed auteur maxing out his credit cards to fund a low-budget feature about a guy, a girl, a gun and a hot car. Indeed, he is the most successful and well-heeled independent of all time, spending a reported $140 million to make "Clones."

As usual, Lucas was ahead of the high-tech curve on this one. The picture was shot entirely on videotape using digital cameras, the first time this has been done for a major feature film.

Lucas also cut a sweet distribution deal for "Clones." Davis said the $50 million distribution fee that Lucas paid 20th Century Fox will barely cover Fox's costs. However, Fox gets great exposure in return, winning the right to show previews of two Fox movies just before "Clones" starts to roll and getting its name in the film's advertising and marketing campaigns.