We are one step closer to seeing Eva Longoria’s directorial debut. Flamin’ Hot — the movie which is set to tell the story of a former janitor at Frito-Lay who claims he was the inventor of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos — has wrapped production.
First announced back in 2019, Flamin’ Hot was a subject of controversy from the get-go, as Richard Montañez, whose story will be told in the movie, has been publicly slammed by Frito-Lay on a statement to the L.A. Times. The company claimed Montañez’s version of the story is an “urban legend."
Despite the claims from Frito-Lay, director Longoria and production company Searchlight Pictures said they were absolutely moving forward with production. According to Montañez himself, he came up with the idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos inspired by the flavors of his community, and his creation ended up revitalizing Frito-Lay and disrupting the food industry. He wrote all about it in his memoir, Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive.
In a statement, the Desperate Housewives alum celebrated the production and the opportunity to command a production with Latinx talent:
“I’m so honored to have led this team in telling a beautiful story where people can see themselves in these characters and are inspired by the endless beauty and talent that is so rich in our community. Every day we were on set, I was reminded again and again by our amazing cast and crew that our community is smart, creative and endlessly talented.”
With a script by Lewis Colick (October Sky) and Linda Yvette Chávez (Netflix’s Gentefied), Flamin’ Hot features Jesse Garcia as Richard Montañez. The cast also features Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Emilio Rivera, Matt Walsh, Pepe Serna, Bobby Soto, Jimmy Gonzales, Vanessa Martinez, Fabian Alomar, Mario Ponce, Hunter Jones, and TikTok star Brice Gonzalez.
Flamin' Hot has yet to get a release date, but stay tuned for more updates on this project right here at Collider.