Douglas signs up for 'Girlfriends Past'

Michael Douglas has joined the cast of romantic comedy The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

Matthew McConaughey stars as a womaniser haunted by his former lovers in the modern version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Douglas will play the Jacob Marley character in the film, which also stars Jennifer Garner, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert, Emma Stone and Fatal Attraction co-star Anne Archer.

Marley is Ebeneezer Scrooge's dead business partner, whose ghost appears to warn him of the forthcoming visits by the three spirits of Christmas.

McConaughey was a late addition to the project, which was originally meant for Garner's husband Ben Affleck.

Director Mark Waters told Comingsoon.net: "There's something great about Matthew. He has an aspect of him that he can get away with murder with women. He's the kind of guy where women are apologising to him when he breaks up with them, because he's so charming."

He said: "It's always been such a delicious concept of taking A Christmas Carol and making a romantic comedy out of it."