The Man with the Bag (2026) is bringing an explosive new twist to the Christmas movie tradition, combining holiday magic, action-comedy, and an ambitious heist story led by an unexpected Santa Claus. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus and Alan Ritchson as Vance, the upcoming Prime Video film turns the familiar Christmas mythology into a fast-moving adventure about a stolen magical bag, an unlikely team of criminals, and one desperate mission to save Christmas. The film is directed by Adam Shankman from a screenplay by Allan Rice and is scheduled to premiere globally on Prime Video on December 2, 2026.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Takes on a Very Different Santa Claus

For decades, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been associated with larger-than-life action heroes, from The Terminator to Predator. In The Man with the Bag, however, the iconic action star trades his familiar weapons and futuristic battles for a red suit, white beard, and the legendary role of Santa Claus.

The casting immediately gives the movie a distinctive identity. Schwarzenegger is not simply playing Santa as a traditional warm-hearted Christmas figure. The film places him at the center of a magical crisis that requires quick thinking, determination, and the help of someone with very different skills.

The new role also creates a nostalgic connection to Schwarzenegger’s Christmas movie history. Thirty years after Jingle All the Way, he returns to the holiday genre in an entirely different kind of Christmas adventure. Prime Video has already highlighted that connection while promoting the film and its first teaser.

This time, Santa does not need to find the perfect Christmas gift. He needs to recover something far more important.

A Magical Christmas Bag Is Stolen

The central conflict begins when Santa’s iconic magical red bag is stolen by a rogue elf with a grudge, played by Awkwafina. Without the bag, Christmas itself is placed in danger just as Santa’s most important night of the year approaches.

The premise gives The Man with the Bag its unusual combination of fantasy and crime-movie mechanics. Instead of following a familiar journey through the North Pole, the story transforms Santa’s magical world into the setting for an elaborate recovery operation.

The stolen bag is more than an ordinary Christmas sack. Its loss threatens Santa’s ability to complete his annual mission, forcing him to consider an unconventional solution. Rather than relying entirely on elves and traditional Christmas magic, Santa turns toward someone who understands the criminal world.

That person is Vance.

Alan Ritchson Plays a Thief From Santa’s Naughty List

Alan Ritchson takes the role of Vance, a former thief who finds himself recruited directly from Santa’s Naughty List. His criminal past becomes his greatest asset when Santa needs someone capable of organizing a sophisticated heist.

Vance is tasked with assembling a crew of skilled misfits who can accomplish something that conventional Christmas helpers cannot. The mission becomes the biggest heist of his life, but the objective is unlike anything a professional thief would normally pursue: saving Christmas.

The pairing of Schwarzenegger and Ritchson is one of the movie’s major attractions. Ritchson brings action credentials of his own through his work as the star of Reacher, while Schwarzenegger’s screen persona naturally lends itself to physical comedy and larger-than-life action. Their contrasting characters create the foundation for the movie’s central partnership.

Santa represents Christmas tradition, magic, and responsibility. Vance represents crime, improvisation, and second chances. Putting the two together gives the story a built-in source of humor while also allowing the film to explore a more emotional theme.

The Greatest Heist of Christmas

At its heart, The Man with the Bag is a Christmas heist movie.

Vance must recruit a group of criminally talented misfits and prepare them for an operation that combines the impossible with the ridiculous. Elves and reindeer become part of the mission, creating a world where classic Christmas imagery can collide with the conventions of a modern crime adventure.

The concept allows the film to move between different tones. One moment can focus on the magical mythology of Santa Claus, while the next can shift into a comedic robbery sequence. That combination is central to the movie’s identity as an action-comedy holiday adventure.

The story also gives Vance a personal dimension. According to the film’s synopsis, his daughter becomes involved in the mission, adding a family element to the larger Christmas crisis. The stakes therefore extend beyond recovering Santa’s bag. Vance is given an opportunity to prove himself, reconnect with his family, and use his particular talents for a cause that is bigger than himself.

A Large Ensemble Adds More Christmas Chaos

Schwarzenegger and Ritchson lead an ensemble that includes Awkwafina, Berkeley James, Michael Cyril Creighton, Liza Koshy, Kyle Mooney, Jane Krakowski, and Ken Jeong, with additional performers appearing throughout the story.

The ensemble is particularly suited to the movie’s comedic approach. With a group of criminals, elves, Santa, and other eccentric characters thrown into the same mission, the film has plenty of opportunities for contrasting personalities and unexpected complications.

Awkwafina’s role is especially important because her character is directly connected to the theft of Santa’s bag. Her rogue elf provides the story’s initial disruption and gives Santa and Vance a clear target for their mission.

Adam Shankman Brings the Adventure to Prime Video

Behind the camera, Adam Shankman directs The Man with the Bag, with Allan Rice credited as the writer. The production comes from Amazon MGM Studios and is designed as a major holiday offering for Prime Video.

Shankman’s background across comedy, family entertainment, musicals, and large-scale studio productions makes the project particularly compatible with its mixture of spectacle and humor. Rather than presenting Christmas as a purely sentimental experience, the movie uses the holiday setting as the backdrop for an action-driven adventure.

The film has a reported 111-minute runtime and carries a PG rating, positioning it as entertainment that can appeal to families while still incorporating action and comedy.

When Does The Man with the Bag Premiere?

The Man with the Bag is scheduled to premiere globally on Prime Video on December 2, 2026.

Its December arrival places the movie directly in the heart of the Christmas viewing season, making the combination of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Santa Claus, Alan Ritchson, magical fantasy, and a Christmas heist the central selling point.

For viewers looking for something different from traditional holiday movies, the premise offers a distinctive alternative: Santa has lost his magical bag, a rogue elf is responsible, a thief from the Naughty List has been recruited, and a team of misfits must pull off an impossible robbery before Christmas arrives.

With Arnold Schwarzenegger stepping into the red suit and Alan Ritchson leading the heist, The Man with the Bag transforms the classic Christmas formula into an action-packed holiday adventure built around unlikely friendships, second chances, and the idea that even Santa Claus sometimes needs a professional thief to save the day.

The Man with the Bag premieres on Prime Video December 2, 2026.