'Deadliest Catch' trio rejoins the show

By Matthew Belloni

EXCLUSIVE: Capts. Sig Hansen and Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand have agreed to return to  "Deadliest Catch," ending a legal stalemate that threatened the Discovery hit reality series. 

"We're happy we worked everything out with Discovery," the trio tells the Hollywood Reporter in a statement. "A deal's a deal. We're heading up to Dutch Harbor to start filming the new season of 'Deadliest Catch' and hopefully it will be the best one yet."

As we first reported last week, Hansen and the Hillstrands quit the show in response to a $3 million lawsuit filed by Discovery against the Hillstrands for allegedly refusing to finish work on a planned spinoff special. As part of the settlement, Discovery's lawsuit will be dropped.

"I'm extremely pleased that we were able to resolve our clients' situation with Discovery," the trio's lawyer Jeff Cohen tells us. "The captains are very excited about the new season."

Terms of the settlement are not being disclosed but both Cohen and a Discovery rep said they were happy with the results of the negotiation. Also as part of the deal, the Hillstrands have agreed to finish work on "Hillstranded," the spinoff that prompted the standoff.

"Everyone worked really hard on putting together 'Hillstranded' and we're looking forward to wrapping that up," the brothers add in a statement. "It's something new that we hope people will enjoy."

Filming on the seventh season of "Catch" is set to being next week off the coast of Alaska.