The famous dancing inmates from the Philippines are now movie stars. A feature-length film about the criminals jailed at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Centre has opened in local cinemas on Wednesday.

“Dance of the Steel Bars” tells the story of retired U.S. fireman wrongly accused of murder and how he forms friendship with a convicted murderer who suppresses his passion for dancing to prove his masculinity. It stars Irish actor Patrick Bergin (“Sleeping with the Enemy”) and Filipino star Dingdong Dantes.

The 750 dancing men in orange uniform only provide the backdrop for the fictional story, but it’s clear that they can shine as brightly as the stars of the film.

“I did not only see them as brilliant dancers, but they are actually brilliant actors,” co-director Cesar Apolinario told Reuters of the CPDRC inmates.

He added that the film is about redemption and brotherhood, and how the real-life reform programme introduced by a security adviser in 2007 has helped instil discipline and camaraderie in the inmates.

Along with drama and fight scenes, the 98-minute movie also features the famous dance sequences by the actual prisoners.

“We did not simplify the steps for them,” Los Angeles-based dancer and choreographer Cindera Che said. “We want them to rise up to our level. And they did.”

The CPDRC dancing inmates are prisoners in a maximum security prison in the Cebu province who rose to Internet fame in 2007 when a video of them dancing to the tune of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was uploaded on YouTube. The video became viral, earning praises from the online community for the men’s disciplined performance. The Youtube video garnered more than 53 million hits and views.

Since then they have released several dance presentations on YouTube, including their rendition of songs from The Black Eyed Peas, the Village People, and Queen.

“Dance of the Steel Bars” opened in Philippine cinemas on June 12, and is slated for distribution in Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.

“Dance of the Steel Bars” trailer:

Michael Jackson’s long-time choreographer Travis Payne and dancers Daniel Celebre and Dres Reid join the inmates for an MJ dance medley:

Madventures features the inmates:

Queen medley:

Not even the rain can stop the inmates from dacing “Gangnam Style”