Gerard Butler in Jennifer Aniston's Goree Girls

So that's what all those dinners were about... But women's prison???

Romance rumors began to swirl this summer when Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler started meeting.

Turns out Jen was interested in… Gerard’s acting!

Life & Style has learned that Jen, 39, has nabbed the 300 star, 39, for a role in The Goree Girls, a woman’s prison saga she’s set to produce and star in next year.

“The thing that really blew her away was P.S. I Love You,” says a Jen insider. “Gerard’s performance made her laugh and cry.”