Gerard Butler will always be known for his blockbuster roles in 300 and How to Train Your Dragon, but 15 years ago, the action star teamed up with an Emmy winner for a critically panned action comedy that has returned to streaming charts. Butler stars alongside Jennifer Aniston in The Bounty Hunter, the 2010 film following a bounty hunter who learns that his next target is his ex-wife, a reporter working on a murder cover-up. The Bounty Hunter is currently streaming on Prime Video in America and Netflix globally, where it’s charting in countries such as Jamaica and the Bahamas. The Bounty Hunter earned “rotten” scores of 13% from critics and 51% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, but it still earned nearly triple its $40 million budget at the box office, grossing $136 million.
Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker was famously considered for the role of Nicole Hurley, which ultimately went to Jennifer Aniston. This is the only time Aniston has ever worked with Gerard Butler, but the two reportedly enjoyed each other’s company on set despite never reuniting for another project. Sarah Thorp wrote the script for The Bounty Hunter, and Andy Tennant directed the film. Thorp most recently wrote Jacob’s Ladder, the psychological horror thriller starring Jesse Williams that’s currently streaming on Starz. Two years before Tennant teamed up with Butler and Aniston for The Bounty Hunter, he worked with Matthew McConaughey on Fool’s Gold, the 2008 rom-com that also stars Kate Hudson. He famously directed Will Smith in Hitch, another classic romantic comedy, so when The Bounty Hunter came around, it’s safe to say he was a sought-after director.
Is Gerard Butler in ‘Gladiator’?
Gerard Butler does not star in Gladiator, the 2000 historical epic from Ridley Scott. Scott chose Russell Crowe for the lead role of Maximus, which paid off — the film won five Oscars, including one going to Crowe for his performance in the film. Butler has starred in other projects similar to Gladiator over the years, though, such as 300. The period epic directed by Zack Snyder sees Butler play the famous Spartan King Leonidas. Butler has also starred in other historical projects such as Gods of Egypt, but that’s more supernatural fantasy than period epic.
The Bounty Hunter is one of the most popular movies in the world on Prime Video and Netflix. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates and coverage of Butler’s future projects.