What is up with Brad Pitt's beard?!

We spotted Brad Pitt returning to his new family home and Angelina Jolie and their kids yesterday in France. Brad Pitt landed at Nice airport looking every bitt as scruffy as he has been since Halloween! We thought maybe the beard was just for fun and a costume thing, but then he wore it on the red carpet and now it looks like its here to stay, so we are hoping its for a movie role! No wonder Brad didn't make the 2009 Hottest Man Alive list this year, looking like that! We hope he shaves it really soon, we miss seeing that amazing face of his!