Hey baby I hear the blues a'callin'

USA Today shows off a couple of the new mutants inhabiting next year's X-Men 3. Brett (Rush Hour 2) Ratner takes over the franchise from Bryan Singer, who's currently wrapping up Superman Returns, also slated for 2006. The most unusual addition appears to be television star Kelsey Grammer as the blue-hued furball Beast. While achieving success as Frasier Crane for over 20 years on two sitcoms, his choices of movie roles in such fare as Down Periscope and The New Jersey Turnpikes leave much to be desired. X-Men 3 should do a lot to reverse this trend. Grammer, at age 50, also tips the age balance of the series a bit, joining co-stars Patrick Stewart (65) and Ian McKellen (66) in the AARP demographic.