Imagine the biceps on this set! Deadline confirms that Arnold Schwarzenegger is joining muscle-bound Reacher star Alan Ritchson in the Christmas heist comedy The Man with the Bag. The film is set up at Amazon MGM Studios with a plan to shoot later this year.
This will be Schwarzenegger’s first film since Terminator: Dark Fate in 2019. That same year he also shot scenes for Kung Fury 2, which has yet to be released. Schwarzenegger was a presenter this past weekend at the Oscars alongside his Twins co-star and fellow Batman villain Danny DeVito, as they traded barbs with Batman himself, Michael Keaton.
Ritchson most recently starred in the faith-based drama Ordinary Angels, and played a baddie in Fast X.
Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Disenchanted) will direct the film from a script by Allan Rice. Here’s the synopsis:
“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.”
The likelihood that Arnold is playing Santa, with Ritchson as Vance. Seriously, this is almost like a passing of the torch moment, because Ritchson has been compared to Schwarzenegger in some action-junkie circles and I totally see it. These two were destined to make a movie together, so consider me pumped to see this one.
