The Man with the Bag brings action stars together for a Christmas heist
Prime Video has revealed the first teaser for The Man with the Bag, a festive action comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus and Alan Ritchson as a thief recruited to save Christmas.
The pairing gives the film an unusual action-comedy dynamic. Ritchson is best known for playing Jack Reacher in the hit Prime Video series, while Schwarzenegger returns to a lighter role after years of action films. Both performers have also demonstrated strong comedy credentials.
Ritchson’s Reacher has already been renewed for a sixth season, only days after its fourth-season finale arrived. A release date for season 5 has not yet been announced, but the actor will return to Prime Video in December for this very different kind of mission.
Santa needs a crew to recover his stolen bag
In the teaser, Santa’s magical gift bag is stolen by a disgruntled elf played by Awkwafina. Without it, Santa cannot complete his deliveries, so he turns to Vance, a thief whose name appears on the “naughty list”.
Vance puts together a team of criminal misfits for the recovery job, while Santa receives additional assistance from his reindeer. The result is a holiday caper built around a second heist: stealing back the object Santa needs to do his job.
The film’s premise should appeal to viewers who enjoy action-led ensemble stories, but its family-friendly rating sets it apart from Ritchson’s more intense television work. For more entertainment and gaming coverage, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
A family-friendly return to Christmas comedy
The Man with the Bag is Schwarzenegger’s first Christmas film since the 1996 comedy Jingle All the Way, in which he feuded with Sinbad. Ritchson previously explored action comedy opposite Kevin James in Luke Greenfield’s Playdate, which reached Prime Video in November 2025.
Adam Shankman, whose credits include The Pacifier and Disenchanted, directs from a screenplay by Allan Rice. The film is rated PG, making its holiday heist suitable for watching with children.
The family-friendly tone is notably different from Reacher season 5, which series creator Lee Child has described as “not fit for family consumption.”
When will The Man with the Bag stream?
The Man with the Bag begins streaming on Prime Video on 2 December. Australian viewers can also browse RETROCADE’s arcade videos and explore the arcade machine range while waiting for the holiday release.
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