One of the biggest new Christmas movies of 2026 has finally given us our first proper look — and Arnold Schwarzenegger is officially stepping into the role of Santa Claus.
Written 1st October 2026 | Subscribe to our Christmas newsletter
Prime Video has released the first teaser trailer for The Man with the Bag, the upcoming Christmas action-comedy starring Schwarzenegger alongside Reacher star Alan Ritchson.
And this definitely doesn't look like your typical cosy Christmas movie.
Watch the The Man with the Bag teaser trailer
The first teaser introduces Schwarzenegger's version of Santa and gives us an early glimpse at the rather unusual Christmas adventure heading our way this December.
The movie follows Santa after his famous red bag is stolen by a disgruntled rogue elf, played by Awkwafina.
With Christmas in serious danger, Santa turns to an unlikely person for help — a thief named Vance, played by Alan Ritchson, who happens to already have a place on Santa's Naughty List.
Vance puts together a crew of criminal misfits to help Santa recover the bag, creating what Prime Video is describing as an unexpected Christmas heist.
So rather than simply delivering presents this Christmas, Schwarzenegger's Santa is apparently going to have to steal them back.
Watch trailer:
Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to Christmas movies
The casting is particularly fun for Christmas movie fans because it marks Schwarzenegger's return to the festive genre 30 years after Jingle All the Way was released in 1996.
The teaser even manages to squeeze in a nod to another part of Schwarzenegger's movie history, with Santa declaring:
“I'm back.”
It's a very different Santa to the traditional version we're used to seeing on screen, but from the first footage, Schwarzenegger looks surprisingly at home with the white beard and red coat.
The movie is also notable as Schwarzenegger's first major film role since Terminator: Dark Fate in 2019.
Who stars in The Man with the Bag?
Alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger as Santa and Alan Ritchson as Vance, the movie has assembled a sizeable comedy cast.
Awkwafina plays the rogue elf responsible for stealing Santa's bag, while the supporting cast includes Ken Jeong, Jane Krakowski, Liza Koshy, Kyle Mooney, Michael Cyril Creighton and Berkeley James.
The movie is directed by Adam Shankman, whose previous films include Hairspray and Disenchanted, from a screenplay by Allan Rice.
When is The Man with the Bag released?
There's not too long to wait.
The Man with the Bag will be released worldwide on Prime Video on December 2, 2026.
That puts it right at the beginning of the main Christmas movie season and makes it one of Prime Video's major festive releases for 2026.
Is The Man with the Bag a family Christmas movie?
From the teaser, The Man with the Bag looks as though it's aiming for a mixture of Christmas comedy, fantasy and action rather than a traditional romantic or family Christmas story.
The basic idea certainly sounds fun: Santa Claus, a thief from the Naughty List, rogue elves, reindeer and a full Christmas heist.
Exactly how family-friendly the finished movie will be should become clearer once Prime Video releases a full trailer and official age rating.
But based on what we've seen so far, this could end up being one of the more unusual Christmas movies of 2026.
And seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger playing Santa Claus alone might be enough to put this one on plenty of Christmas watchlists.
The Man with the Bag arrives on Prime Video on December 2, 2026.
More Christmas movies coming in 2026:
