People

By Lev Grossman

SO MUCH FOR BEING PENN PALS This much they agree on: Sean Penn, right, and movie producer Steve Bing were working on a movie together, a comedy called Why Men Shouldn't Marry, and now they aren't. The rest is for a judge to decide. Penn claims that Bing--whose credits include fathering Elizabeth Hurley's baby--called off the production because of the actor's high-profile antiwar activism, and he's suing Bing for $10 million. Penn calls it "blacklisting." Bing calls it "civil extortion," and he is filing a countersuit for $15 million that describes Penn as "crazy and irrational."

Game Face Mike Tyson showed up at a prefight press conference with a tattoo on his battered mug, a Maori-inspired abstraction that nearly encircles his left eye. "I didn't like the way my face was looking," Tyson said by way of explanation. Whatever. He may not be heavyweight champ anymore, but he could still put the hurt on anybody who makes fun of his new look. Which is why we would never, ever do that.

THEY CAME TOGETHER Time has reduced the Fab Four to a dynamic duo, but the BEATLES still have a healthy output. A DVD to be released next month will include an hour of never-before-seen footage from a 1994 jam session with Paul, Ringo and George. Paul, the Beatle formerly known as the Cute One, has just announced his first tour in Britain in 10 years, and police in Australia have found two reels of Beatles tape stolen from the Abbey Road studios 35 years ago. The tape is believed to be from the White Album sessions. Maybe we'll finally find out what Revolution 9 was supposed to be about.

COMING UP NEXT: HICKS, CHICKS, WITCHES AND FAKE ALIENS Since Joe Millionaire drew record-breaking audiences last week and the Emmys have announced new categories for unscripted shows, network execs are obeying the golden rule of TV--namely, if something works, run it into the ground. Here is a preview of the next round of reality shows:

THE SHOW

Melissa Joan Hart's wedding

THE IDEA

The Sabrina star's upcoming nuptials get the Osbournes treatment

WILL IT BE A SURVIVOR?

It would take some kind of magical teenage witch to make this one work. Hey, wait a second ...

THE SHOW

The Real Beverly Hillbillies

THE IDEA

Actual Clampettesque country folk move to a California mansion

WILL IT BE A SURVIVOR?

It worked for Jed (Buddy Ebsen, left). But CBS ran into trouble when protesters labeled the show a "hick hunt"

THE SHOW

Scare Tactics

THE IDEA

Unsuspecting victims are subjected to staged X-Files-style close encounters

WILL IT BE A SURVIVOR?

Dicey. One victim is already suing. Plus Shannen Doherty is the host--what, they didn't want her for The Surreal Life 2?

THE SHOW

The Simple Life

THE IDEA

Hotel heir Paris Hilton, left, and, uh, Lionel Richie heir Nicole Richie move to a farm

WILL IT BE A SURVIVOR?

As long as somebody steps in pig excrement at least once per episode, this thing is going to kill