International Insider: The World’s Watching Qatar; Quiet Market At AFM; Greece Is The Word; Zuckerberg’s “Last Resort”; M&A Spree

Wales take on England in the final round of fixtures in Group B tonight, knowing that even a victory against their border rivals may not be enough to see them progress to the last 16.

Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here. World Cup fever has gripped Deadline Towers and while our U.S. colleagues gobble up their turkey with all the trimmings, we’ve got plenty to round up in the world of international TV and film.

England’s fiery World Cup opener against Iran, which ended 6-2, was watched by a peak of 8M viewers yesterday lunchtime in the UK. The peak was similar to that of host Qatar’s opener with Ecuador.

Brand Beckham used to be bulletproof, but insiders say Victoria is increasingly stressed as the backlash against husband David and his ambassador role for World Cup host Qatar reaches boiling point.We’re told she’s not only feeling deeply worried about the negative impact on the family business, but also how it’s affecting their friendships.Former footballer David signed a multi-million pound deal to promote the country, where attacks on LGBTQ+ communities are common and homosexuality is punishable by death. He’s been accused of hypocrisy as he’s always stood in alliance with the LGBTQ+ community – supporting Pride events, speaking out in support of gay footballers, and being honoured as a top ally in the LGBT+ Awards.

Joe Lycett, the British broadcaster and comedian, has revealed the £10,000 ($11,800) he shredded in protest of David Beckham’s £150M ambassador role at the Qatari World Cup was not real cash.

After being overshadowed by the BBC’s focus on the human rights issues that have been surrounding the World Cup 2022, yesterday’s opener between hosts Qatar and Ecuador kicked off with a hefty peak of 8M viewers.

Insiders: it’s Friday, you’re hungry for a recap of big international film and TV news and I’ve got a pot of stories boiling on the hob. Jesse Whittock here dishing up the scoops of the week.

“Magic Mike’s Last Dance” is almost here and the film’s debut trailer gives a great impression of what we can expect from the final film in the trilogy.Once again starring Channing Tatum as “Magic” Mike Lane, who appears to be stuck in Florida and working as a bartender for a monied older woman (Salma Hayek Pinault). After they strike up a romance and he shows her his, um, moves, she suggests that they take his act abroad – to foggy London town! While there, Mike is forced to find new dancers and construct a show from the ground up, while also connecting with his love’s young daughter.Steven Soderbergh, who directed the first “Magic Mike” but sat out the sequel (only serving as editor, camera operator and cinematographer, as this was during the brief period where he was “retired”) returns to direct “Magic Mike’s Last Dance.” Originally intended as an HBO Max original movie, as Soderbergh’s recent “No Sudden Move” and “KIMI” were, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” was recently moved into pole position (get it?) – over Valentine’s Day weekend, 2023.

As controversy continues to swirl around World Cup hosts Qatar, and with the tournament due to begin next Sunday, British comedian Joe Lycett has said he will give £10,000 to charities that support gay people in football if David Beckham pulls out of a reported £10 million deal to act as an ambassador for the event. If Beckham does not, Lycett said he would put the money through a shredder and livestream himself doing so ahead of the opening ceremony. 

Rupert Friend To Star In New Podcast Series From QCODEContent studio QCODE today announced a new science fiction thriller podcast series titled The Mysterious Master M, starring Rupert Friend (Anatomy of a Scandal). Friend will also act as an executive producer on the six-episode podcast series, which will debut in Spring 2023. Mike Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds) and his Storyteller Productions banner will produce with Laure Eve (Blackheart Knights) attached to write and executive produce. Tomer and Asaf Hanuka, Sammy Kattan, Automatik, and QCODE will also serve as Executive Producers on the series. “This is a gripping story that shows how messy yet beautiful it is to be human, and I truly can’t wait to share it with all of you,” Friend said of the show.