Felicity Jones' seven-figure pay day and the clause in her contract which will excite fans

Traditionally, when stories about Hollywood pay gaps hit the headlines, it's the women who get stuck with the raw end of the deal.

But it looks as if things might be slowly changing: Jennifer Lawrence, who famously penned an open letter about the problem in 2015, was paid more than her co-star Chris Pratt for their new movie Passengers.

Felicity Jones in the Star Wars movie Rogue One. Photo / Supplied

Oscar-nominee Felicity Jones, meanwhile, reportedly received a seven-figure sum for playing Jyn Erso in the Star Wars spin-off, Rogue One, which was released in New Zealand cinemas on Thursday.

The salaries of her male co-stars, in contrast, were "only" in the mid-six figure range, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"She knows her worth," a source told the magazine.

In a piece of news that may excite fans, THR also revealed that Jones was the only cast member with a sequel clause built into her contract.

Felicity Jones scored a 7-figure deal with Star Wars: Rogue One. Photo / Supplied

The news has led to speculation about just how this might take place. We already know, for instance, that a Han Solo prequel movie is in the works, starring Alden Ehrenreich.

At 33, Jones is only a year or so younger than Harrison Ford was when he made Star Wars: A New Hope, meaning that the characters of Solo and Erso are presumably meant to be contemporaries.

Ehrenreich, meanwhile, is 27, suggesting that the prequel will be set around six or so years before the events of A New Hope. It's therefore not inconceivable that Jones could appear in it at Erso, although it seems extremely unlikely she would do anything other than cameo.

Others have suggested, however, that Erso would be much more likely to appear in a not-yet-announced future Star Wars film.