Legal Wrangling over "the Hobbit" Settled

Now they can get to the business of movie making again without all the lawyers and courts.

The settlement was welcomed by J.R.R. Tolkien's youngest son, Christopher Tolkien, on behalf of the trust.

Tolkien said he and other trustees "regret that legal action was necessary, but are glad that this dispute has been settled on satisfactory terms that will allow the Tolkien Trust properly to pursue its charitable objectives."

"The trustees acknowledge that New Line may now proceed with its proposed films of 'The Hobbit,'" Tolkien said in a statement.

I think Warner Bros. just backed a truckload of money up to the Tolkien Trust offices and made it all go away. They should have done this in 2003 so we would already be on the 2nd Hobbit film now instead of merely waiting for them.