The cast of Schwarzenegger and Ritchson’s holiday movie is indeed beginning to fill out, as Shang-Chi star Awkwafina s those two action heavyweights for some Christmas laughs. Details on Awkwafina’s Man With the Bag role are being kept gift-wrapped until a later date (via Deadline).
What This Means For The Man With The Bag
Awkwafina May Play A Misfit Thief In The Holiday Action-Comedy
Christmas is in need of saving in Schwarzenegger’s first holiday comedy since Jingle All the Way, as Santa (Schwarzenegger) has his magic bag stolen, and calls upon a naughty thief (Ritchson) to help him get it back. The film’s synopsis says the thief’s daughter and a band of misfits him and Santa in executing a bag-retrieving heist, and it’s likely Awkwafina has been cast to play one of those misfits.
YouTube star Liza Koshy was previously revealed to be ing the Man With the Bag cast.
Schwarzenegger was all smiles when last December he posted to Instagram a BTS photo of himself and Ritchson on the Man With the Bag set. The image showed the Terminator star with his somewhat less-than-lush Santa Claus beard, alongside the Reacher actor in his inconspicuous master-thief attire. Schwarzenegger captioned the image with an enthusiastic update:
It is fantastic to be shooting The Man with the Bag with @alanritchson. Our director @adamshankman is one of the funniest directors I’ve worked with, New York City is an amazing host, working with @amazonmgmstudios is a joy, and I can’t wait to share all of this Christmas cheer with each and every one of you.
Our Take On Awkwafina ing Schwarzenegger And Ritchson
She’s Done Her Share Of Both Action And Comedy
Awkwafina scored the lead in last year’s Jackpot!, playing a lottery winner in a future California, who must fend off scores of desperate people trying to kill her for her loot. That film saw the multi-talented actor/rapper/comedian paired with action star John Cena, and now she’ll co-star with the most legendary of all action heroes in Schwarzenegger, with Amazon’s Jack Reacher also along for the ride. Given Amazon's deep pockets, it's likely more recognizable names will be added to the cast as the weeks stretch on.
Schwarzenegger’s Jingle All the Way does not rank as one of the most beloved Christmas comedies of all-time, but the former bodybuilding champ will try for a do-over with his newest holiday offering, and this time he's playing Santa himself. Ritchson’s casting makes for a fun action hero team-up, while the two stars' newly-revealed co-star brings her own particular awkward-but-tough dynamic to the mix.
Having appeared in Shang-Chi, Jumanji 2 and Ocean’s 8, Awkwafina knows all about reinforcing the “comedy” side of the action-comedy mix. It seems The Man With the Bag is assembling a strong, variously-talented ensemble in of its leads, which should help the Christmas-themed movie rise above other similar offerings.
Source: Deadline

- Birthdate
- July 30, 1947
- Birthplace
- Thal, Styria, Austria
- Notable Projects
- Predators
- Professions
- Actor, Bodybuilder, Politician, Businessman, Producer, Director
- Height
- 6 feet 2 inches