The Man with the Bag is an upcoming Christmas movie, and there have been some exciting announcements as production gets underway. The Man with the Bag has been in production for nearly two years now, but recently there have been some exciting developments about the movie from director Adam Shankman, whose other credits include Disenchanted, the long-awaited Enchanted sequel; Hocus Pocus 2, another entry in a beloved magical franchise; and Bedtime Stories; among a handful of other, often fantasy focused, movies.

For all his fantasy-focused productions, he’s never tackled the Christmas season before like he plans to in The Man with the Bag. Christmas movies will never go out of style; it’s the genre that keeps on giving, and it never feels like there’s enough. Recent movies like Red One, Silent Night, and Violent Night have popularized the Christmas-action movie genre combination, and The Man with the Bag is looking to follow their example. There’s been some exciting news regarding the cast, story, and more since the initial announcement.

The Man With The Bag Latest News

The Man With The Bag Is Filming In New York City

The latest news for The Man with the Bag comes from Just Jared, which posted images of Arnold Schwarzenegger dressed up as Santa Claus and riding his sleigh. Filming, at least part of it, is taking place in New York City.

The Man With The Bag Is Confirmed

The Movie Is Being Produced And Distributed By Amazon

The Man with the Bag was first announced in June 2023, with Alan Ritchson of Reacher set to star and Adam Shankman attached to direct (via THR). Ritchson was also announced to produce, and the film is being produced and distributed by Amazon MGM Studios. Filming began in New York City in December 2024 (via Collider). Though no official release date has been announced just yet, they are already through part of filming, and seeing as it’s a Christmas movie, it’s likely The Man with the Bag will premiere in late 2025, just in time for the holidays.

The Man With The Bag Cast

Alan Ritchson And Arnold Schwarzenegger Are Set To Star

The Man with the Bag has already announced a large part of its ensemble cast. Alan Ritchson is set to star as Vance, a charming thief, while it’s been confirmed that Arnold Schwarzenegger will play Santa Claus. Awkwafina, Liza Koshy, Kyle Mooney, Ken Jeong, Michael Cyril Creighton, Adrian Martinez, Roger Bart, Berkeley James, Jesmille Darbouze, Karren Karagulian, Gabi Samels, Jane Krakowski, and Murray Hill are also confirmed to appear, though their roles are as yet unknown (via ᴅᴇᴀᴅline).

The Man With The Bag Story Details

Santa Claus Hires A Thief To Save Christmas

Allan Rice wrote the script for The Man with the Bag, and the story follows the magical real-life Santa Claus. When his bag of gifts is stolen, he’s forced to turn to the naughty list to get help. He enlists Vance, a thief fresh out of prison who is attempting to be a better person and spend a crime-free holiday with his family. Instead, Vance, his young daughter, and a group of elves work together to pull off the biggest heist of Vance’s career and save Christmas.

From the story alone, The Man with the Bag is like to be a child-friendly affair with some light action that should still be appropriate for kids of all ages. Vance is probably going to find it hard to resist falling back into his criminal ways, but his daughter and the spirit of Christmas may have something to say about it.