As Exclusively Reported by Deadline Hollywood: NFL Star George Kittle Makes Acting Debut in Dinosaurs of the Wild West

San Francisco 49ers Tight End Joins Jesse Kove, Martin Kove and Rachael Pizzolatto in the first casting announcements in Original Cinematic Frontier Series Currently Funding on Kickstarter

GOLD COAST, Australia, July 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sparke Films has revealed that San Francisco 49ers tight end and NFL star George Kittle is set to make his acting debut in Dinosaurs of the Wild West, the original eight-part cinematic frontier series from filmmaker Luke Sparke, creator of Primitive War (Currently streaming on Hulu).

Kittle will play an original character in the new frontier, complete with his own dinosaur, marking his first on-screen acting role.

Joining Kittle in the series are Jesse Kove (Cobra Kai) in a villainous role, Martin Kove (The Karate Kid, Cobra Kai) as an important figure in the America of this time, and Rachael Pizzolatto (MythBusters Jr) as ‘The Heiress’.

The three principal hero roles remain in active casting along with other key roles, with an extraordinary outpouring of interest from actors worldwide following the trailer's release. Auditions are currently underway.

"Since the trailer dropped, we've had an incredible response from the acting community. Performers from all over the world reaching out because they want to be part of this crazy-ambitious idea," said writer/director Luke Sparke. "George is someone who discovered Primitive War on his own and talked about it publicly and that's what brought us together. His passion for this kind of storytelling is completely authentic, and that energy is exactly what the frontier needs. Having him, the Koves and Rachael together so far is the kind of ensemble that gets built around a story worth telling."

The announcement comes as the Dinosaurs of the Wild West Kickstarter campaign, officially named a Kickstarter "Projects We Love" selection, targets over the 60% mark of its goal with 10 days remaining. The official trailer and teaser have generated over 20 million views across official social channels alone, with millions more through press coverage and community sharing.

Dinosaurs of the Wild West represents the new model for independent entertainment: Creator-led, direct to fans, bypassing the traditional systems entirely. Rather than waiting for a greenlight that may never come, the production is going directly to the audience that wants it to exist, allowing fans to pre-order the series and collectively bring it to life.

"We're past the point of asking permission," said Sparke. "The audience has already shown interest in extraordinary numbers. This is a new way of making ambitious content, with creators going directly to the fans who want it by building their own audience. If enough people pre-order it, we make it. It's that simple. Now it’s just educating this new system and turning those millions of views into pre-orders."

Set in an alternate 1879, Dinosaurs of the Wild West imagines a frontier where humans and dinosaurs built civilisation together. Massive Brontosaurs haul entire towns across the plains. Raptors are ridden into battle. Pterosaurs rule the skies. The series follows pioneers, outlaws and adventurers navigating a dangerous land where every journey, every town and every war depend on the giant creatures that shaped civilisation itself. It’s pitched as ‘House of the Dragon’ meets ‘Tombstone’.

The Kickstarter campaign is live now and closes on August 7^th. The ONLY way to watch this series (currently) is to pre-order.

BACK THE CAMPAIGN:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sparkefilms/dinosaurs-of-the-wild-west-series
WATCH THE TRAILER:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfsgDuvv_t0

ABOUT THE PROJECT
Dinosaurs of the Wild West is an original cinematic universe created by filmmaker Luke Sparke and developed alongside the team behind Primitive War with Sparke Films and Let it Be entertainment. Produced by Carmel Imrie, Carly Sparke and Luke Sparke with Executive Producers Geoff Imrie, Eric Weick, Colin Hurdle and Kelly Clifford and Creative Executive Brooke Marsden. Original score for the trailers by composer Frederik Wiedmann and employing VFX artists through Sparke Effects.

MEDIA CONTACT:
jennifer@magnovapr.com
production@dinosofthewest.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a00314f5-d73a-4964-acd8-87d0122301f6
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 A video accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4bbcd78f-9bd2-4f37-bb19-e3d7927fb1b2