Alan Ritchson Joins Arnold Schwarzenegger in Holiday Action-Comedy 'The Man with the Bag'

Alan Ritchson has spent the past few years establishing himself as one of television's biggest action stars, largely by throwing criminals through walls in Prime Video's Reacher, but he's also been branching out into movies, taking on projects that offer something a little different from his usual collection of diner coffee and Clark bars, and in just three weeks, audiences will get to see him team up with another action legend.

Ritchson's new holiday action-comedy The Man with the Bag officially premieres December 2, 2026, on Prime Video, pairing the Reacher star with Arnold Schwarzenegger, who plays Santa Claus. Directed by Adam Shankman, the movie sees Ritchson trading his usual law-enforcement connections for a career criminal recruited to save Christmas.

When Santa's iconic red bag is stolen by a rogue elf with a grudge, Christmas is suddenly at risk. With his biggest night of the year fast approaching, Santa recruits a thief from his 'Naughty List' who quickly assembles a crew of criminally skilled misfits — with a little help from elves and reindeer — to pull off the most unexpected heist of their lives.

The film stars Ritchson (War Machine) as Vance, Schwarzenegger (The Terminator) as Santa Claus, and Awkwafina (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as the rogue elf, Nadia Nyce. The supporting ensemble includes Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), Ken Jeong (The Hangover), Liza Koshy (The Naked Gun), Kyle Mooney (Saturday Night Live), and Michael Cyril Creighton (Only Murders in the Building). Shankman (Hairspray) directs from a screenplay by Allan Rice.

What Else Is Alan Ritchson Making?

Meanwhile, Ritchson remains busy with Reacher, whose fifth season is currently filming and will adapt Child's novel Make Me. Prime Video has yet to announce a premiere date for the next installment. The season begins with Reacher stepping off a train in the tiny town of Mother's Rest purely down to the fact he wants to discover where its odd name came from. Once in town, he meets private investigator Michelle Chang, whose colleague has vanished while investigating the area, but what initially looks like another disappearance gradually becomes something much more sinister.

The new season stars Ritchson as Jack Reacher, Amanda Ip (Transplant) as Michelle Chang, Jay Baruchel (This Is the End) as Chief Buck Bauer, Ciara Bravo (Cherry) as Eunice, and Kevin Durand (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) as Nokes.