Arnold Schwarzenegger And Alan Ritchson Are Making A Christmas Comedy, And You Won't Believe The Premise
Ho ho ho, movie lovers! The Oscars are officially in the rearview mirror and Daylight Savings just robbed us of an hour of sleep (at least, those of us living in places that still abide by such backward traditions), but we're apparently fast-forwarding through the spring and summer fun to skip ahead to the holiday season with this latest bit of news. And, no, you're not prepared for what this is about.
Deadline has the scoop on a project that might as well be a throwback to the "No rules, anything goes" heyday of the nineties, in terms of both casting and premise. In a casting report that's sure to dwarf any others in size, weight, and muscles alone, we now know that none other than action superstar (and hilarious Academy Awards presenter) Arnold Schwarzenegger is teaming up with "Reacher" actor Alan Ritchson for a family holiday movie titled "The Man With The Bag." The project comes from director Adam Shankman (known for "The Wedding Planner," "A Walk to Remember," and "Hairspray") with a script written by Allan Rice. But as formidable as the creative team is, that's not the main draw here. Just take a gander at the premise for the Christmas-themed movie:
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.
Now that's what we're talkin' about.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Alan Ritchson team up to save Christmas
Do I have to repeat myself? Arnold Schwarzenegger and Alan Ritchson are teaming up to save Christmas and I doubt I'll type out a sentence that makes me happier the rest of this year. The mind absolutely reels at the possibilities, especially when either actor could conceivably play either of the two main roles here. But according to the report, the expectation is for Schwarzenegger to don the beard and red suit as Mr. Claus, leaving Ritchson free to play the (presumably) Grinch-y thief recruited to steal Santa's bag of gifts.
This actually marks the first movie role for Schwarzenegger in five years. Since lending his star power to "Kung Fury 2" (which is currently embroiled in some legal snafus and has yet to be released) and "Terminator: Dark Fate" in 2019, the Austrian Oak has recently been starring in the Netflix action-comedy series "FUBAR." Meanwhile, Ritchson has, of course, vaulted into the spotlight thanks to his starring role — and, yes, his absolutely ridiculous physique — in Prime Video's "Reacher," along with a major villainous turn in last year's "Fast X." Putting the two muscle-men in starring roles opposite one another feels like a stroke of genius, especially since we already know how funny Schwarzenegger can be. The jury's still out on Ritchson in that respect, admittedly, although his deadpan delivery as the straight man in "Reacher" almost rivals the show's actual action.
Either way, "The Man With The Bag" is currently set to begin filming later this year.