'Easttown' Creator Talks Finale and Future; 'F9' Splutters In China; Simon Cowell Cancels Appearance on ‘X Factor Israel’

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( May 31, 2021 What's news: Ricky Gervais speaks out on Charlie Hanson sexual misconduct allegations. Plus: Matt LeBlanc becomes a meme in Ireland and Walton Goggins' favorite L.A. outdoor eateries — Abid Rahman 'Mare of Easttown' Creator on the Final Twist: "It’s a Tragedy" ►The finale of Mare of Easttown served up another big twist in its central mystery — and didn’t make the audience wait for it. Creator Brad Ingelsby discusses the finale and whether the Kate Winslet-led series could return and reveals the surprising influences on his writing, from Broadchurch to Boogie Nights. Warning spoilers. [The interview.]( —Easttown and down. HBO Max users reported technical problems just before the gripping finale of Mare of Easttown. You had one job! [The story.]( Quote of the Day "How you getting on?" Ireland has made Matt LeBlanc a meme after his outfit on Friends: The Reunion had people likening the actor to an "Irish uncle." [The story.]( Fast & Furious 9: China Drift ►Hitting the skids. F9 downshifted 85 percent in its second weekend, earning just $20.8 million compared to its $136 million roaring opening weekend, writes Patrick Brzeski. —Dogged by poor word-of-mouth, Chinese ticketing app Maoyan currently projects F9 to finish at $211.9 million, far weaker than the preceding franchise mainstays Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious, which topped out at $390.9 million in 2015 and $392.8 million in 2017, respectively. —Whether John Cena’s [humiliating Taiwan/China gaff]( has had anything to do with the F9's weak legs in the Middle Kingdom is difficult to determine, but it can't have helped. [The story.]( In Memoriam ►Gavin MacLeod, the good-guy actor who played news writer Murray Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Captain Merrill Stubing on The Love Boat, has died. He was 90. [The obituary.]( —B.J. Thomas, the Grammy-winning singer known for “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head," "Hooked on a Feeling" and a string of other hits died Saturday at his home in Arlington, Texas, from complications due to stage four lung cancer. He was 78. [The obituary.]( —Joe Lara, the star of TV’s Tarzan: The Epic Adventures, died Saturday with his wife and five others in the crash of a small jet near Nashville, authorities said. He was 58. [The obituary.]( Al Fresco With Walton ►The grateful eight. Walton Goggins shares eight of his favorite L.A. restaurants that nail outdoor dining. [The story.]( —Ex-factor. Simon Cowell has pulled out of judging duties for the upcoming season of X Factor Israel. Rumors Cowell was pulling out of the show began last week in the wake of renewed violence in the region between Israel and Hamas. [The story](. —"Shocked and appalled." Both Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have both spoken out after Extras, Life’s Too Short and After Life producer Charlie Hanson was accused of sexual misconduct by 11 women. [The story.]( In other news... —Courteney Cox and Ed Sheeran do [“The Routine”]( dance from Friends. —Bill Maher [says]( COVID-19 vaccine “probably” helped in Real Time return after coronavirus diagnosis. —Hollywood welcomes [return of red carpets]( as pandemic restrictions ease. —Colin Trevorrow on the wide-open [future]( of Netflix animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. —Dave Bautista [recalls]( what made him sign onto Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. What else we're reading... —"Telling the Story of the Tulsa Massacre" [[New York Times]( —"How Hollywood’s ‘Jesus’ Jim Caviezel Went Full QAnon" [[Daily Beast]( —"Mythic Quest’s Charlotte Nicdao: "Julia Louis-Dreyfus Is a Masterclass In Funny''" [[The Guardian]( —"The Best Books of 2021 So Far" [[Time]( —"Swizz Beatz vs. Timbaland In Verzuz Rematch Live From Miami's Club LIV: See Our Scorecard & Winner" [[Billboard]( Today... Today's birthdays: [Clint Eastwood]( (91), Brooke Shields (56), Colin Farrell (45), Normani (25), Waka Flocka Flame (35) This email was sent to {EMAIL} by Penske Media Corporation. Please add email@email.hollywoodreporter.com to your address book to ensure delivery to your inbox. Visit the [Preferences Center]( to update your profile and customize what email alerts and newsletters you receive. Copyright © 2021 The Hollywood Reporter, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 11175 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90025 [View in Browser]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Your Privacy Rights]( | [Ad Choices]( | [Terms of Use]( | [Unsubscribe](