A fascinating combination of stars is coming down the chimney for the family comedy The Man With The Bag. Who better to lead a festive film with wholesome fun than action behemoths Arnold Schwarzenegger (True Lies, Jingle All The Way, Total Recall) and Alan Ritchson (Reacher, Titans, Fast X)? The Man With The Bag is Schwarzenegger’s first feature since wrapping his part for Kung Fury 2, while Ritchson’s cache is overflowing after starring in Reacher, with projects like Playdate, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and Motor City on the way.
Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Rock of Ages, A Walk to Remember) directs The Man With The Bag from a script by Allan Rice (Stuck in the Middle, Call Your Mother, The New Adventures of Old Christine). The holiday-themed project hails from Amazon MGM Studios. According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, the logline for The Man With the Bag reads: “When Santa’s magic bag is stolen, he turns to his naughty list to find Vance, a former thief, to help him get it back. Along with his daughter, Santa, and a group of misfit elves, Vance will have to pull off the greatest heist of his life to save Christmas.”
We’ve yet to learn who is playing who, though whispers around the North Pole point toward Schwarzenegger playing Santa Claus. Arnie is well-acquainted with holiday films after starring in the criminally underrated comedy Jingle All The Way (I said what I said). In the family-friendly holiday film, a father (Schwarzenegger) vows to get his son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas. However, every store is sold out, and he must travel all over town to compete with everybody else, including a disgruntled postman (Sinbad), to find one and save Christmas.
Meanwhile, Ritchson’s action star is rising after starring in Reacher and Fast X. If he keeps his nose clean, Ritchson could become one of Hollywood’s go-to action stars on the big screen. He’s got the acting chops, the build, and the drive to deliver top-notch action with enthusiasm. He’ll be in great shape as long as Hollywood doesn’t pigeonhole Ritchson into cookie-cutter silver screen slop and gives him bangers to strut his stuff. If nothing else, starring in a family comedy is a right of passage for action stars. Need evidence? Look at projects like The Pacifier, My Spy, and Suburban Commando. Starring alongside Schwarzenegger, one of Hollywood’s greatest living legends, is an outstanding way to dip your toe into the kiddie pool.