Ex-NFL Star Greg Ellis -- I'm a Hollywood Producer Now ... Casts Big Stars On 1st Movie

He dominated on defense for the Dallas Cowboys ... but now former Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Ellis is quarterbacking his first Hollywood feature film -- and he's got some pretty big stars on board.

TMZ Sports has learned Ellis -- who made millions during his 11-year NFL career -- is the executive producer on a movie called "Carter High" ... starring Vivica A. Fox, Charles S. Dutton and David Banner.

The movie is based on the real life 1988 Carter High School football team -- a team that was rocked by scandal following allegations of players committing armed robbery and cheating in the classroom.

"As the executive producer, my role was to fill in wherever was needed. I tried to make sure everything flowed," Ellis says.

Ellis says his team reached out to former NFL star Jessie Armstead -- who was on the '88 Carter team -- and got him to participate in the movie, which Greg hopes to release around Thanksgiving.

"This is something I'd like to continue to do," Greg says about his new career ... "It's a lot of work but I like to inspire and shock people. Movies can make a huge impact on lives.