McConaughey joins male strippers in Soderbergh's 'Magic Mike'

(AFP/Tiziana FABI)

Matthew McConaughey ( The Lincoln Lawyer) has been cast in director Steven Soderbergh's film Magic Mike, also starring Channing Tatum ( G.I. Joe), reports Variety.

The semi-autobiographical story, based on Tatum's experience as an exotic dancer in Tampa, Florida, at age 18, follows a male stripper who mentors a young dancer.

McConaughey portrays a former stripper who owns the Xquisite Club and Alex Pettyfer ( I Am Number Four) also costars.

Magic Mike starts production in September for a 2012 release.

Soderbergh's upcoming films include Contagion, out September 9, with Matt Damon and Kate Winslet, and the action-adventure Haywire in January 2012. After he completes Magic Mike, he plans to shoot the spy story The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and a Liberace biopic with Michael Douglas.

Tatum stars in four other films in 2012 including Haywire with Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender and mixed martial arts player Gina Carano, as well as the G.I. Joe sequel.

In 2012, he stars in the romantic drama The Vow with Rachel McAdams ( Midnight in Paris), out Valentine's Day, followed in March by 21 Jump Street, with co-writer Jonah Hill and Ice Cube in the big screen version of Johnny Depp's television series about undercover cops in high schools.

RC