The Passion (New York City)

The Passion: New York City (also known as simply The Passion) is an American music television special that was broadcast by Fox on March 28, 2024. Based on the Dutch franchise of the same name (which in turn, was adapted from a BBC special) and produced by Dick Clark Productions and Eye2Eye Media, it was a contemporary retelling of the Passion of Jesus Christ set to popular music, through a mixture of live and pre-recorded segments filmed in New York.

It starred Hugh Jackman, Tom Holland, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Hailee Steinfeld and Cillian Murphy. Jimmy Kimmel hosted and narrated the special, while Fiona Bruce served as a correspondent for the procession of a white-lighted cross to the main stage, located at the St. Paul's Chapel.

Cast

 * Hugh Jackman as Jesus Christ
 * Tom Holland as Peter the apostle
 * Justin Timberlake as Judas Iscariot
 * Rihanna as Mary
 * Hailee Steinfeld as Mary Magdalene
 * Cillian Murphy as Pontius Pilate
 * Emily Blunt as Claudia Procula
 * Bryan Castron as Emperor Tiberius,
 * Jonathan Majors as Barabas


 * Michael Cera, Zoë Kravitz, Ant Anstead, Iggy Azalea, John Krasinski, Jessica Alba, Hayden Christensen, Rachel Zegler, Billy Ray Cyrus and Benedict Wong as apostles.
 * Tom Hiddleston as agent that arrests Jesus #1 (as Loki Laufeyson)
 * Owen Wilson as agent that arrests Jesus #2 (as Mobius M. Mobius)
 * Cast of Aladdin The Musical as themselves

Story
At the main stage at the St. Paul's Chapel, host Jimmy Kimmel welcomes the audience to the second edition of The Passion in the United States. He introduces the characters of the story, before cutting to Grand Central Terminal. Right before the station, a bus stops and 3 of the apostels get out and start singing the opening lines I'll Be There For You. In the station, a metro arrives and Jesus gets out, and when the group is outside Judas arrives with a yellowcab taxi.

At the stage, Mary starts singing Just The Two Of Us, and after this the story cuts back to Jesus and his disciples watching Aladdin The Musical. Jesus talks with his apostles, and starts singing You've Got A Friend In Me with Peter and Mary Magdalene outside of the auditorium. There, Jesus tells his apostles that he has to go to Jerusalem, and he has to suffer. Shortly after, we cut to a scene where Pilate is in talk with Emperor Tiberius about the possible danger of Jesus.

After Mary sings Unwell, the story goes to the Last Supper at the LES Skatepark. Jesus explains that the bread is his body, and the wine is his blood, and then tells that he'll get betrayed by one of his apostles. Judas runs from the scene, while the group embraces in singing Love Shine A Light. Judas sings the song Godly Light, a translation of the Dutch song Wit Licht, at the 207th Street Overhaul Shop and decides to go the authorities and betray Jesus.

Jesus goes to the Garden of Getsemane, portrayed by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, to pray to his father and sings In My Blood, before accepting his fate and reuniting with his group at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. The police arrives with Judas and the old friends encounter in a duet of Bittersweet Symphony before Jesus gets arrested and Peter runs from the scene.

Back at the main stage, Pilate prepares himself for the trial of Jesus. Jesus gets brought in by the police agents (Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson as Loki and Mobius from the series Loki Season 2). Pilate decides to let the audience choose of he needs to let go Jesus, an innocent man, or Barabas, a murderer proven guilty. The audience goes for Barabas, and than tell Pilate that they need to crusify him. Judas shows up and admits he has done something wrong, but Pilate tells him to mind his own business. Peter also arrives at the scene and watches the trial. Pilate and Jesus embrace in a duet of Before I Go, and than Jesus sings with Mary in the song Lift Me Up while he gets dragged away for his execution. From up the tower of the chapel, emperor Tiberius watches the trial.

The procession arrives at the main stage, and through pictures of paintings the narrator tells Jesus' last moments. Mary stands at the cross and sings the song Tears In Heaven surrouned by Mary Magdalene and some of the apostles. The narrator tells about how Jesus got ressurected, and from up the point of the St. Paul's Chapel's tower, Jesus stands and sings a reprise of I'll Be There For You, before the entire cast embraces and sings along.

Locations

 * St. Paul's Chapel - Main Stage, trial of Jesus and rise of Jesus
 * Pier 25 - Take-off of the procession
 * Grand Central Terminal - Arriving of Jesus and his apostles
 * New Amsterdam Theater - Duet Jesus, Peter and Mary Magdalene
 * The Dakota - Pilate visits Emperor Tiberius
 * LES Skatepark - Last Supper
 * 207th Street Overhaul Shop - Judas struggles with the darkness
 * Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Garden of Getsemane
 * National September 11 Memorial & Museum - Arrestation of Jesus