Arnold Schwarzenegger is buying and selling his action-hero persona for a Santa go well with in “The Man with the Bag,” an upcoming vacation heist comedy from Amazon MGM Studios. The primary full trailer for the movie has been launched, giving viewers a have a look at Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus and Alan Ritchson as a profession felony recruited to assist get better his stolen sack of presents. Directed by Adam Shankman, the film will premiere solely on Prime Video on December 2, 2026.
The movie marks Schwarzenegger’s return to Christmas comedy practically three a long time after “Jingle All of the Means” (1996). This time, nevertheless, he’s not a determined father racing by the vacation season to discover a sold-out toy. As an alternative, he performs Santa himself, whose Christmas supply operation is thrown into disarray when an elf makes off along with his enchanted sack.
Becoming a member of Schwarzenegger and Ritchson is Awkwafina, who performs the mischievous elf answerable for the theft. The supporting forged additionally consists of Berkeley James as Emma, the daughter of Ritchson’s character. With a mix of motion, comedy, and a vacation rescue mission, “The Man with the Bag” brings a heist storyline to the Christmas film lineup.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Returns to Christmas Comedy After 30 Years
Schwarzenegger’s casting is among the movie’s largest speaking factors, significantly given his historical past with vacation comedies. His final main Christmas-themed comedy was “Jingle All of the Means,” wherein he performed Howard Langston, a father caught in a frantic Christmas Eve seek for the season’s most coveted motion determine.
Practically 30 years later, the actor returns to the style with a distinct sort of vacation task. Fairly than competing with different dad and mom for a preferred toy, his Santa Claus should enlist the assistance of a felony to retrieve the presents that maintain Christmas operating.
The position additionally attracts on a comedic aspect of Schwarzenegger’s profession that audiences have seen in movies corresponding to “Twins” (1988) and “Kindergarten Cop” (1990). His capability to mix bodily comedy with the commanding presence that outlined his motion roles offers the movie a well-recognized however totally different tackle the normal Santa character.
“The Man with the Bag” Facilities on a Christmas Eve Heist
The story begins when Nadia Good, performed by Awkwafina, steals Santa’s enchanted sack of presents. A disgruntled elf with an urge for food for luxurious, Nadia takes the bag and retreats to a high-end resort in New York Metropolis, leaving Santa with little time to get better it earlier than Christmas.
In want of somebody with expertise navigating the felony underworld, Santa approaches Vince, performed by Ritchson. A profession felony just lately launched after serving a four-year jail sentence, Vince is trying to rebuild his relationship along with his daughter, Emma. Santa provides him a chance to assist save Christmas, setting the stage for an unlikely partnership.
Collectively, the pair devise a high-stakes resort heist to retrieve the stolen sack. Their motivations, nevertheless, prolong past the rapid mission. Whereas Santa is decided to stop Christmas from being ruined, Vince sees the operation as a chance to reconnect along with his daughter and earn again her belief.
The premise offers the movie room to steadiness conventional vacation storytelling with the conventions of a criminal offense comedy. Its mixture of a stolen package deal, a resort infiltration, and a ticking Christmas deadline additionally places a distinct spin on acquainted seasonal film territory.
Alan Ritchson and Awkwafina Lead a Supporting Forged
Ritchson brings appreciable motion expertise to the manufacturing, having gained wider recognition by his portrayal of Jack Reacher in Prime Video’s “Reacher,” primarily based on the novels by Lee Youngster. He additionally appeared within the motion comedy “Playdate.” His position as Vince offers him a chance to carry that bodily presence right into a extra comedic setting, reverse Schwarzenegger’s Santa.
Awkwafina takes on the position of Nadia Good, whose determination to steal Santa’s sack units the complete story in movement. The actress has beforehand appeared in “Loopy Wealthy Asians” and “The Farewell,” demonstrating a variety that extends throughout comedy and drama.
Berkeley James performs Emma, whose relationship with Vince offers the movie with an emotional storyline alongside its central heist. The daddy-daughter dynamic provides one other dimension to the Christmas journey, giving Vince a private cause to see the mission by.
Adam Shankman Directs the Prime Video Vacation Launch
Shankman takes the director’s chair for “The Man with the Bag.” His earlier credit embody “Hairspray” and “The Pacifier,” each of which mix broad comedy with family-oriented storytelling. His expertise with the style positions him effectively for a manufacturing that brings collectively motion, humor, and Christmas themes.
The movie was shot on location throughout New York Metropolis, utilizing the town’s streets and real-world settings because the backdrop for its vacation journey. The strategy offers the resort heist and surrounding Christmas scenes a recognizable city setting.
“The Man with the Bag” will premiere solely on Prime Video on December 2, 2026. The discharge provides one other main vacation title to the streaming platform’s December lineup, with Schwarzenegger and Ritchson main a Christmas comedy constructed round an uncommon partnership between Santa Claus and a profession felony.
Featured picture: Amazon Prime
