Fifteen New Zealand actors who played various roles in the Lord of the Rings trilogy have reached an out-of-court settlement after a battle for a share of the millions of dollars made from selling merchandise, including toy collectibles.
Last year, lawyer Henry Gradstein filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Los Angeles against New Line Cinema to recover money the actors believed was owed to them.
One of the actors, Bruce Hopkins, says that under a contract clause, he believed they were entitled to a small percentage of the net merchandising revenue because their Lord of the Rings characters were portrayed on the goods being sold.
But Mr Hopkins says that New Line told them that despite millions of dollars in gross earnings, their characters lost them money after deduction of expenses.
He says the the amount the actors received was not substantial.
Although the actors cannot discuss the settlement amounts, he says he could probably afford to buy a second-hand car with his share.
