Hans Christian Anderson, not so Walt Disney

A few hours ago it was confirmed that Emma Watson was chosen to play the role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid. But that's not all! Prince Eric will be played by Daniel Radcliffe!

This new production of Disney's animated classic is planned for release in 2015 and will be a live action telling filmed digitally in 3D.

Don't look for "Happily Ever After" here.

The Little Mermaid, the classic fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen, will be made into a live-action movie by Universal Studios. To the excitement of many of her fans, Sofia Coppola has been chosen to direct the film. Directing the classic fairy tale will be a complete change from the genre that made her popular.

Coppola is known for her adult-themed films that tackle topics on adultery, romance, parenthood and death. Caroline Thompson, who will write the script, has started working with Kelly Marcel and Abi Morgan on their previous drafts. With four brilliant female filmmakers in charge of handling The Little Mermaid, it is expected that the movie will present something exciting and novel. The movie's plot is still being kept a secret, although we can expect that it will center on the romance between a mermaid and a human being.

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EASTWYCK VILLAGE TO HOST 

NORTH GREENBUSH TOWN HISTORIAN ON April 17

NORTH GREENBUSH, NY (Tuesday, April 8, 2014) — North Greenbush Town Historian Jim Greenfield will give a lecture on the history of Defreestville and Wynantskill called, “A Tale of Two Hamlets” on

Thursday, April 17 at 2 p.m. at Eastwyck Village, 1720 Best Rd., North Greenbush.

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Rensselaer police officer was sentenced to prison

TROY -- A former Rensselaer police officer was sentenced to prison for driving drunk and killing his childhood friend in a crash. Mark Fusco pleaded guilty to first degree vehicular manslaughter Friday afternoon.

Fusco admitted he had a blood alcohol content of .18 or greater when he crashed into a tree in East Greenbush on March 13, 2013. His passenger, Sean Murphy, 22, was killed. Fusco said he couldn’t remember why the two got in the car after taking taxis all night. Murphy’s family said early reports that they had forgotten something in a taxi and were trying to catch up were untrue. Sean’s mother, Coreen, read the only victim impact statement during sentencing. Read more...

Mickey Rooney, versatile actor and master showman, dies at 93

 (Reuters) - Actor Mickey Rooney, who became the United States' biggest movie star while a brash teenager in the 1930s and later a versatile character actor in a career that spanned 10 decades, died on Sunday of natural causes, Los Angeles authorities said. He was 93.

Rooney, who developed a reputation as a hard-partying, off-screen brat in his heyday and married eight times, died at his home in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said, citing information from the Los Angeles Police Department.

"He was undoubtedly the most talented actor [who] ever lived. 

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The ‘double life’ of Mickey Rooney

It has been reported that Rooney, who died on April 6 at the age of 93, had an estate valued at only $18,000. A victim of financial elder abuse, Rooney's life was far from that of the idealized teenager Andy Hardy. See Video

Bill Clinton Offers a Voter ID Solution That We Can All Agree On?

Strengthening voter ID laws is a hot topic – one that seems to be synonymous with racism and discrimination in liberals’ minds, despite most of the country being in support of it.

Former President Bill Clinton may have come up with a solution: adding photos to Social Security cards.With 34 states now requiring some form of identification at the polls, former president Bill Clinton and civil rights leader Andrew Young on Wednesday endorsed the idea of adding photos to Social Security cards as a way to prevent voter suppression.

“I’m not against photo identification, but only as long as the cards are free and easily accessible. Providing eligible voters the ability to obtain a photo on a Social Security card eliminates any genuine concern,” Young said. He called on Obama to issue an executive order making such photos available.

Clinton did not go so far as to urge executive action. However, he said, putting photos on Social Security cards would represent “a way forward that eliminates error,” without having to “paralyze and divide a country with significant challenges.”

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