If you were scrolling through celebrity tabloids back in 2010, you couldn't escape them. Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston were everywhere. They were the "it" pair that the internet desperately wanted to be real. People keep searching for "Gerard Butler movies with Jennifer Aniston" like there’s a whole secret franchise they missed.
Honestly? There is only one.
Just one movie. The Bounty Hunter.
It’s kind of wild when you think about it. Most iconic onscreen duos have a string of hits, but these two managed to cement themselves in the public consciousness with a single, chaotic action-comedy. It wasn't exactly Citizen Kane, but it did something most movies fail to do: it made people believe the leads were actually falling in love—or at least having a really good time trying to kill each other.
The Bounty Hunter: A Very Loud Reunion
The premise is basically a rom-com fever dream. Milo Boyd (Butler), a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter and former cop, gets the "dream" assignment of a lifetime. He has to track down his ex-wife, Nicole Hurley (Aniston), a reporter who skipped bail to chase a murder lead.
It’s a classic "enemies to lovers" setup, but with handcuffs and tasers.
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The movie is loud. It’s messy. Milo literally throws Nicole into the trunk of a vintage convertible at one point. Critics absolutely hated it. We're talking a dismal 13% on Rotten Tomatoes. They called the script "witless" and the plot "inept." But here is the thing: audiences didn't care. The movie raked in over $136 million worldwide.
Why? Because the chemistry was actually there. Even the harshest reviewers admitted that watching two incredibly attractive people bicker across New Jersey was, at the very least, a decent way to spend two hours on a Sunday afternoon.
What Happened Behind the Scenes?
The rumors weren't just born out of thin air. During the press tour, the energy between them was... intense. If you watch the old interviews from 2010, they aren't just "polite coworkers." They’re leaning into each other, laughing at inside jokes, and constantly touching.
Aniston later told Access Hollywood that Butler was "the most unpretentious guy" and that they had each other's backs from day one. Butler, in his usual Scottish charm, told reporters that his friends were essentially "hating" on him because he got to work with Aniston.
Then there was the Mexico trip.
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Butler showed up for Aniston's 41st birthday in Los Cabos. That’s usually the smoking gun in Hollywood. You don't fly to a private villa in Mexico for a "coworker's" birthday unless there’s some kind of spark. Both stars spent the entire year denying it, calling the rumors "insulting" and "fodder for magazines."
Aniston was particularly vocal about how annoying it was that people assumed a professional friendship had to be a "showmance" to sell tickets. Whether it was a tactical PR move or a genuine fling that fizzled out, we'll probably never know for sure. But they sold that movie on chemistry alone.
Why We’re Still Talking About It
There is a specific niche of movies that live forever on basic cable and streaming platforms. The Bounty Hunter is the king of that niche. It’s "comfortable" cinema.
You’ve got:
- Gerard Butler playing the rugged, slightly disheveled guy's guy he does best.
- Jennifer Aniston being the sharp, fast-talking professional who is clearly too good for him.
- Jason Sudeikis in a hilarious supporting role before he became Ted Lasso.
The movie works because it doesn't take itself seriously. There’s a scene where Aniston has to use a taser, and her genuine "adrenaline junkie" reaction (which she mentioned in interviews) comes through. They did a lot of their own stunts, including some high-speed car chases that apparently had Aniston on the verge of tears before she decided she loved the rush.
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Lessons from the "Jen and Gerry" Era
Looking back from 2026, the Butler-Aniston era feels like the last gasp of the "Superstar Rom-Com." Today, movies are driven by franchises and IP. In 2010, you could greenlight a $40 million movie just by putting these two names on a poster.
It’s a reminder that sometimes, "human quality" in film isn't about a perfect script. It’s about the person sitting next to you on screen.
If you're looking to revisit this era, don't go in expecting a masterpiece. Go in for the banter. The movie is currently available on most major VOD platforms like Amazon and Apple TV, and it still pops up on Netflix rotations frequently.
Next Steps for Your Movie Night:
- Check the secondary cast: Keep an eye out for Christine Baranski and Jeff Garlin; they carry the subplots that keep the movie from dragging.
- Watch the press interviews: If you want to see the "real" chemistry people obsessed over, YouTube the 2010 The Bounty Hunter junkets. The "is-it-real-or-not" tension is more entertaining than some of the movie's actual scenes.
- Skip the "Gamer" or "300" expectations: This is Butler in The Ugly Truth mode, not King Leonidas. Adjust your vibe accordingly.