Searchlight Pictures has released an official trailer for Flamin' Hot, an upcoming biographical picture that recounts the origin story of Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
Jesse Garcia, an American actor perhaps best known for his roles in From Dusk till Dawn: The Series and Narcos: Mexico, stars as Richard Montañez in Flamin' Hot. The trailer shows how Montañez, who worked for Frito-Lay as a janitor, channeled his Mexican American heritage and upbringing to create the iconic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, "a snack that disrupted the food industry and became a global pop culture phenomenon," according to the film's official synopsis.
Flamin' Hot is based on the memoir A Boy, a Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive by Montañez, as well as on the life stories of Montañez and his wife Judy. However, while Flamin' Hot stands to tell Montañez's account of how Flamin' Hot Cheetos came to be, there is seemingly more than one side to this story. Frito-Lay has disputed Montañez's claim that he created the Flamin' Hot Cheetos, stating to the Los Angeles Times in 2021 that "we value Richard's many contributions to our company, especially his insights into Hispanic consumers, but we do not credit the creation of Flamin' Hot Cheetos or any Flamin' Hot products to him." Despite the dispute, the 2021 article confirmed that Montañez did rise from a floor-level position to a marketing executive at Frito-Lay and was involved in pitching new products.
Eva Longoria Makes Her Directorial Debut
Eva Longoria directed Flamin' Hot from a screenplay written by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette. The biographical comedy-drama film will serve as Longoria's feature directorial debut. She previously sat behind the camera for multiple television shows such as Devious Maids, Jane the Virgin, Black-ish and The Mick. Yet, Longoria is perhaps best known for her career as an actor, appearing in acclaimed series like The Young and the Restless, Desperate Housewives and Telenova, as well as the films The Sentinel, Arthur Christmas and Dora and the Lost City of Gold.
In addition to Garcia, Flamin' Hot stars Annie Gonzalez (Shameless) as Judy Montañez, Dennis Haysbert (Lucifer) as Clarence C. Baker, Tony Shalhoub (Monk) as Roger Enrico and Emilio Rivera (Mayans M.C.) as Vacho Montañez. Matt Walsh, Pepe Serna, Bobby Soto, Jimmy Gonzales, Brice Gonzalez, Vanessa Martinez, Fabian Alomar, Mario Ponce and Hunter Jones have also been cast in undisclosed roles.
Flamin' Hot will begin streaming on Hulu and Disney+ on June 9.
Source: Searchlight Pictures