London (CNN)As the latest chapter in the "Star Wars" story continues to rake in the money at the box office, a man in the London suburb of Twickenham is rubbing his hands together at last.
His name is Andrew Ainsworth, and he's the industrial designer who crafted the plastic stormtrooper helmets used in the original "Star Wars" film in 1977.
Way back then, no one foresaw that George Lucas' low-budget flick would grow to become one of the most successful film franchises in history.
"No one believed in him. Most of the film industry said it's another no-hoper," recalls Ainsworth, who took on the job to help prop up his fledgling plastic-molding business.
He charged Lucas 20 pounds (about $30 at today's exchange rates) for each of the stormtrooper helmets, packed the molds away and forgot about them.
It was only when he needed money for his children's school fees almost 30 years later that Ainsworth dusted the relics off and began making stormtrooper helmets for fans, who now pay 500 pounds (about $730) apiece.
Every time a new "Star Wars" film is released, business booms, and "The Force Awakens" is no exception.
"I think it's probably increased the business by a factor of 10 or 20," he says.
But up until now, Ainsworth says, he hasn't actually made any money from the growing stormtrooper army he builds.
All of the profits have been spent on a legal bill he racked up over nine years in an epic fight against Lucas, who took him to three different British courts in a copyright battle.