# The Passion (franchise)

The Passion is a huge Passion Play, held around Easter on the streets of a certain city. The event started in the Netherlands as a collaboration between the broadcasters EO and RKK (nowadays between EO and KRO-NCRV) and the local community. In 2016 an American version was staged in New Orleans. The event is considered a missionary chance to pay attention to Easter.

## Creation

The event and television is partly inspired by the local event, the Manchester Passion, held and broadcast by BBC Three on Good Friday. The production company Eye2Eye Media brought the event to the Netherlands. The first Dutch version was on Maundy Thursday in 2011 held at the market square in Gouda with a live-broadcast on TV. It proved successful and new editions followed in the next years.
Later on, other countries like Belgium (2014) and the United States (2016) followed with local versions of the event.

## Feature
### Structure

The event is staged in a main square in a city around Easter.
On this square a stage is built where celebrities tell the story of Easter, on basis of certain passages around the traditional story of Jesus, interspersed with live performances of actual pop songs.
Meanwhile, a group of people carries a huge cross towards the main stage in the center square.

## The city

The host city is selected annually on the basis of various factors.
* The recognition among the population. A local theme that ties in with the story of suffering and resurrection, can help. For example, the 2016 USA edition, staged in New Orleans, was connected with the Hurricane Katrina flooding the city and the subsequent rebuilding, literally rising the city again.
* The presence of a large space that can carry up enough people. In this space the stage is built. Also, an overflow area is required to carry the overflow of people.
* The ability to record the different scenes.
* The willingness of the city to provide both financial and practical contributions.

## Editions

    Currently in production
    No longer in production
| Country/Region | Local title | Network(s) | Location | Narrator | Procession reporter |
| Belgium ( Flanders) | De Passie | Kerknet Regional TV stations | 2014: Merchtem 2016: Ypres 2018: Lier 2023: Sint-Niklaas (film) | 2016: Bob De Moor 2018: Katrien De Becker | — |
| Germany | Die Passion | RTL | 2022: Essen 2024: Kassel | 2022: Thomas Gottschalk 2024: Hannes Jaenicke | — |
| Hungary | A Passió | TV2 | 2021: Budapest | András Stohl | Anett Czippán |
| Netherlands | The Passion | Nederland 3 (2011) NPO 1 (2012-present) | 2011: Gouda 2012: Rotterdam 2013: The Hague 2014: Groningen 2015: Enschede 2016: Amersfoort 2017: Leeuwarden 2018: Amsterdam 2019: Dordrecht 2020: Hilversum 2021: Roermond 2022: Doetinchem 2023: Harlingen 2024: Zeist | 2011: Erik Dijkstra 2012: Philip Freriks 2013: Jörgen Raymann 2014: Beau van Erven Dorens 2015: Robert ten Brink 2016: Lenette van Dongen 2017: Remco Veldhuis 2018: Noraly Beyer 2019: Martijn Krabbé 2020: Johnny de Mol 2021: Humberto Tan 2022: Ruud de Wild 2023: Thomas van Luyn 2024: Kluun | 2011: Hanna Verboom 2012: Antoinette Hertsenberg 2013: Renate Verbaan 2014: Lieke van Lexmond 2015: Bridget Maasland 2016: Sofie van den Enk 2017: Kefah Allush 2018: Bert van Leeuwen 2019: Klaas van Kruistum 2020: Anne-Mar Zwart 2021, 2023–2024: Anita Witzier 2022: Sosha Duysker |
| United States | The Passion: New Orleans | Fox | 2016: New Orleans | Tyler Perry | Nischelle Turner |

### Dutch editions

The Dutch adaption of The Passion is a project between the EO and KRO-NCRV networks, the Protestant and Roman Catholic churches in the Netherlands, and the Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap (the Dutch Bible Society). The goal is to bring attention to the Passion of Jesus and make it accessible to the new generation.
The first three editions were all held in the province of South Holland. The fourth edition, held in Groningen, was the first outside of the Randstad. Since that year the locations have been distributed throughout the country. The 2016 edition was staged in Amersfoort, the 2017 one in Leeuwarden, and that of 2018 in the Bijlmermeer district of Amsterdam.

### Belgian edition

A Flemish version of The Passion was held for the first time in 2014. It was called De Passie and staged on Maundy Thursday in Merchtem. The event attracted around 10,000 visitors.

### American edition

In the United States, The Passion: New Orleans has been staged for the first time in 2016. On March 20 of that year the first American edition took place in New Orleans, and has been aired by Fox. This adaption also was a musical.

### Other countries

There is also interest from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, South America, Norway and Poland.