2nd October 2026 – (Los Angeles) Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed a striking new screen appearance as Father Christmas, sporting long, wavy grey hair and a full white beard in the first teaser for his upcoming festive comedy The Man with the Bag. The 79‑year‑old actor features as Santa in a heist‑tinged adventure, with footage released this week offering the clearest look yet at his transformation, complete with a colourful patterned knit and a tongue‑in‑cheek line about a “very naughty elf” stealing his magical bag.
The film pairs Schwarzenegger with Reacher star Alan Ritchson, who plays Vance, a thief recruited by Santa to recover the missing bag in time for Christmas. Awkwafina appears as the elf at the centre of the theft, while the ensemble also includes Jane Krakowski, Ken Jeong, Liza Koshy and Kyle Mooney. Directed by Adam Shankman and written by Allan Rice, the project blends caper elements with broad comedy, nodding to Schwarzenegger’s action heritage as he quips, “I’m back!”
Schwarzenegger first teased the look while filming in New York in December 2024, sharing his enthusiasm for the production and praising the city as a backdrop. The new teaser underscores the film’s mix of action and humour and marks a return to seasonal fare three decades after Jingle All the Way, positioning the star at the centre of another Christmas scramble, this time as Santa himself.
Prime Video has scheduled The Man with the Bag for a global premiere on 2nd December 2026, uniting two generations of action leads as Schwarzenegger’s Santa teams up with Ritchson’s professional thief to mount an unlikely rescue mission for Christmas.