With just about every lead role filled, the only thing left for “The Losers” to achieve — other than actually completing the film, of course — is a release date. Well, as someone more famous than I once said, mission accomplished.

According to Box Office Mojo, “The Losers” will hit theaters on April 16, 2010. The DC Comics adaptation will debut on the same day as New Line’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” leaving geeks of both the comic book and horror persuasions with a choice between which genre they value more.

An interesting commonality between the two is their shared connection with last March’s “Watchmen” adaptation. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jackie Earle Haley are the leading men of “The Losers” and “Nightmare,” respectively — so just as “The Prestige” was an unofficial cage match between Batman and Wolverine, so too will April 16, 2010 mark a showdown between the Comedian and Rorschach’s real-life counterparts.

It’s also curious that “The Losers” has announced a release date so soon, given that the movie hasn’t even started shooting yet. Heck, the Mark Millar comic adaptation “Kick-Ass” still doesn’t have a release date, despite having completed filming already. Perhaps production on “The Losers” is further along than we’ve been led to believe.

Regardless of how far along the film is, the new release date for “The Losers” — combined with “Jonah Hex” a few months later — signifies an excellent 2010 for Warner Bros., DC Comics and comic book lovers at large… if they can overpower Freddy Krueger, that is.

Are you surprised at the early release date for “The Losers”? Which film are you more likely to see first — “Nightmare on Elm Street” or “The Losers”?

source: mtv.com