According to The Hollywood Reporter, the brief but quotable career of fictional film critic David Manning officially came to an end last week after a Los Angeles Superior Court judge signed off on a settlement of a class-action suit that will see Sony Pictures pay more than $1 million for luring moviegoers into buying tickets based on Manning's recommendations.

The suit, filed in 2001, accused Sony of unfair business practices, including the "intentional and systematic deception of consumers," by using fabricated quotes attributed to Manning. Manning, who didn't exist but was invented in Sony's marketing department, was identified as a critic for the Ridgefield Press, a Connecticut publication, and his quotes in praise of such films as Hollow Man, Vertical Limit, A Knight's Tale and The Animal appeared in studio ads and promotional materials.