Rights holder / Distributor: Amazon MGM Studios / Prime Video
The Man with the Bag is a 2026 American Christmas action comedy film directed by Adam Shankman from a screenplay by Alan Rice. It is scheduled to premiere in the United States on December 2, 2026, on the Prime Video movie platform.
В The man with the bag Santa's magical bag is stolen, putting the upcoming Christmas in jeopardy. To get it back, Santa turns to Vance, a former thief trying to start a new life and spend a peaceful holiday with his family. The unexpected task forces him to return to the skills he tried to give up.
Vance assembles a team of unlikely henchmen to pull off the biggest heist of his life. The operation also involves elves and reindeer, and according to the official release, the theft of the bag was the work of a disgruntled elf, played by Aquafina. The story combines a Christmas fantasy with a heist plot, putting an unusual group of characters on a mission to save the holiday.
Director of The man with the bag е Adam Shankman, who has many years of experience in both comedy and musical cinema. Among his more well-known films are The wedding planner, Hairspray и One step away from heaven. His new production combines a Christmas tale with an adventure comedy and elements of a heist film.
The scenario of Alan Rice places the unusual mission at the heart of the story, and the production also features original music from John Debney. The film was shot in New York and is set for global release on Prime Video. The formula allows the director to combine traditional Christmas motifs with a more dynamic adventure plot.
In the role of Santa Claus is Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Alan Ritchson plays Vance, the former thief who Santa Claus turns to for help. For Schwarzenegger, this is his first film role since Terminator: Dark Fate since 2019, which makes his appearance in the unusual image of Santa Claus especially curious. Ritchson, also known to viewers as Jack Reacher from the series Reacher, here he enters a rather different type of adventure story.
Aquafina plays the role of the elf who steals the magic bag, and among the other participants are Michael Cyril Creighton, Lisa Koshy, Kyle Mooney, Jane Krakowski, Ken Jeong, Roger Bart и Adrian Martinez. No detailed information has yet been released about some of their characters. Therefore, the main acting intrigue before the premiere remains the interaction between Schwarzenegger and Richson.
The man with the bag uses a familiar Christmas theme, but combines it with an unusual idea - Santa Claus hires a former thief to return his stolen sack. Thus, the traditional holiday story meets the genre of heist films, and fantasy elements, elves and reindeer are added to it. The central duo of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Alan Ritchson is one of the main reasons why the production attracted attention even before the premiere.
For now The man with the bag looks like a production aimed at a family audience, but with enough action and comedy elements to not rely solely on the Christmas theme. It will be interesting to see if Adam Shankman will be able to balance the fantasy part with the heist story without one overshadowing the other. The premiere in December puts the film squarely among the new Christmas titles that will compete for the attention of viewers.
