Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video have released the first full trailer for the holiday heist comedy The Man with the Bag, and it pairs Arnold Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus with Alan Ritchson as an ex-convict who must help him save Christmas. In the film, Santa teams up with Ritchson character to recover his stolen sack of presents from a rogue elf in New York. Directed by Adam Shankman, the film premieres globally on Prime Video on December 2, 2026. It is Schwarzenegger first festive action comedy in three decades since Jingle All the Way in 1996.
The premise is simple, silly and instantly clear from the trailer: Christmas is at risk because the one bag that matters most has been taken, and the only person who can steal it back is a professional thief. That setup lets the film mix holiday warmth with heist comedy and action, two genres that Schwarzenegger and Ritchson both know well. Schwarzenegger brings the larger than life Santa presence, while Ritchson brings the physical, straight faced thief who is trying to leave crime behind. Together, they give Prime Video a Christmas film that is not just cosy, but also funny and action packed.
Quick Facts
| Detail | What is known |
|---|---|
| Film | The Man with the Bag |
| Studio | Amazon MGM Studios, for Prime Video |
| Premiere | December 2, 2026, globally on Prime Video |
| Director | Adam Shankman |
| Writer | Allan Rice |
| Santa Claus | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Ex-convict / thief | Alan Ritchson, as Vance |
| Rogue elf | Awkwafina, as Nadia Nice |
| Setting | New York, at Christmas |
| Previous festive action comedy | Jingle All the Way, 1996, also starring Schwarzenegger |
What Happens in the Trailer
The trailer opens with Ritchson character, Vance, in a quieter moment with his young daughter Emma, played by Berkeley James. Vance is a skilled thief who is barely out of prison and hopes to spend a peaceful Christmas with his daughter, a hope that makes his next choice harder. He is offered a mysterious job with a life changing payout, and that job turns out to be unlike any heist he has done before: Santa Claus himself needs him to steal back his own bag. The trailer plays that reveal for comedy, because Vance is used to stealing valuable objects, not to working for the most famous gift giver in the world.
From there, the trailer moves into heist mode. Vance assembles a crew of criminally skilled misfits, with help from elves and reindeer, to pull off a Christmas Eve job in New York. The rogue elf behind the theft is Nadia Nice, played by Awkwafina, a disgruntled elf captivated by shiny luxuries who checks into a high end hotel. That detail gives the villain a clear motive that is easy to understand: she wants the good life, and the bag full of presents looks like a shortcut to it. The trailer cuts between action set pieces, comic misunderstandings, and warmer family moments, suggesting a film that wants to be both a caper and a Christmas story.
Schwarzenegger as Santa, Thirty Years On
For Arnold Schwarzenegger, this role is a return to a genre he has not touched in thirty years. Jingle All the Way, released in 1996, saw him play a father desperate to find the must have toy for his son at Christmas, and it became a holiday favourite that is still replayed each December. In The Man with the Bag, he goes one step further: he is not chasing a Christmas gift, he is Santa himself, the source of all the gifts. That shift lets the film play with his screen image in a new way. He is still the action hero, but now the action is in service of Christmas, not in spite of it.
Schwarzenegger Santa is not presented as a soft, background figure. The trailer shows him as active, determined and funny, recruiting Vance with the line that he needs to be naughty for once, a joke that works because it flips the usual naughty or nice idea on its head. For audiences who grew up with Schwarzenegger action films, seeing him in a red suit and white beard, still ready for a fight, is part of the appeal. For younger viewers, he is simply Santa, larger than life and unmistakable. That dual appeal is why casting him matters so much for a global Prime Video release.
Alan Ritchson and the Heist Crew
Alan Ritchson plays Vance, described in coverage as a charming professional thief and, in some reports, as Vince in earlier summaries. The character is an elite thief and a father who reluctantly takes the job, then builds a crew to carry it out. Ritchson is best known to many viewers as the star of Reacher, where he plays a towering, capable hero who solves problems with strength and calm. In The Man with the Bag, that same presence is turned to comedy: a man who is very good at crime is asked to use those skills for a good cause, while trying to stay on the right side of his daughter.
The supporting cast adds to the comic range. Alongside Schwarzenegger, Ritchson and Awkwafina, the film features Liza Koshy, Kyle Mooney, Ken Jeong and Jane Krakowski, plus Michael Cyril Creighton. That mix of comedy, character acting and star power suggests the heist crew and the New York world around them will be filled with distinct personalities, not just background players. Awkwafina as the rogue elf is a particularly strong choice, because she can play mischief and charm at the same time, making Nadia Nice a villain audiences enjoy watching even as they root against her.
Adam Shankman and the Holiday Heist Formula
Director Adam Shankman has a long record in musicals, comedies and family films, including Hairspray, Rock of Ages and Disenchanted. That background fits a film that needs to balance action, comedy and holiday feeling without letting any one element take over. A holiday heist comedy can easily become too cynical, losing the Christmas warmth, or too sweet, losing the comedy edge. Shankman experience with large ensemble pieces and with tone shifts between humour and heart suggests he is well placed to keep that balance.
Writer Allan Rice, known for Stuck in the Middle, provides the screenplay, and the story structure follows a classic heist pattern with a festive twist. There is a target, the bag, a team with different skills, a location, New York at Christmas, and a deadline, Christmas Eve itself. That deadline is what gives the film urgency: if the bag is not recovered in time, Christmas itself is at risk. It is a simple stakes device, but it works because every viewer understands what Christmas morning means, and because the film can play the race against time for both laughs and tension.
Why Prime Video Is Betting on December 2
Releasing on December 2, 2026, puts The Man with the Bag at the start of the main Christmas viewing season, when families are looking for new holiday films to watch together. A streaming premiere, rather than a theatrical release, also fits how many people now watch Christmas movies: at home, in the evening, with family, often as a repeat viewing across December. Prime Video has positioned the film as a major holiday release, arriving worldwide on the same day, which means viewers in different countries can watch and discuss it at the same time.
The film also arrives after a teaser trailer in September 2026, which gave a first taste of Schwarzenegger and Ritchson rapport. The full trailer in November builds on that teaser by showing more plot, more of the crew, and more of the New York setting. That two stage marketing, teaser then full trailer, is now standard for major streaming films, because it keeps a title in conversation for months. By December 2, audiences will already know the premise, the stars and the date, which is exactly what a holiday release needs to cut through a crowded season.
For more film and television news, readers can check our coverage of the Gilded Age cameos from Matt Damon and David Letterman, another case of surprising casting. Our report on Stick season 2 on Apple TV with Owen Wilson covers a comedy return, while our piece on Sydney Sweeney filming for The Housemaid 2 in New York follows a sequel in production.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does The Man with the Bag premiere?
The film premieres globally on Prime Video on December 2, 2026. It is an Amazon MGM Studios production for Prime Video.
Who plays Santa Claus?
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Santa Claus. This is his first festive action comedy in three decades since Jingle All the Way in 1996.
Who does Alan Ritchson play?
Alan Ritchson plays Vance, an ex-convict and skilled thief who teams up with Santa to recover the stolen sack of presents from a rogue elf in New York.
Who plays the rogue elf?
Awkwafina plays Nadia Nice, a disgruntled elf who steals Santa bag. The film is directed by Adam Shankman from a screenplay by Allan Rice.
Sources
- Hypebeast: Prime Video Arnold Schwarzenegger Alan Ritchson The Man with the Bag official trailer
- ComingSoon: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Alan Ritchson Christmas heist movie trailer
Final Thoughts
The Man with the Bag works as a trailer because its idea is clear in one sentence: Santa hires a thief to steal Christmas back. Schwarzenegger gives that idea star power and nostalgia, Ritchson gives it action credibility and a family heart, and Awkwafina gives it a villain worth watching. Whether the full film sustains that balance for its whole running time will be clear on December 2, when Prime Video viewers can watch it at home. Until then, the trailer has already done the most important job for a Christmas film: it has made audiences want to spend a December evening with Santa, a thief, and a very stolen bag.
