Click here to read the Spanish version.
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are one of the most sought-after snacks in the world, but their curious history is largely unknown (we tell you about it here). Now, fans of these spicy and addictive snacks can also learn about it through the movie Flamin’ Hot: The Story of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, coming to Disney+ on June 9.
Directed by popular actress Eva Longoria and starring Jesse Garcia, it tells the inspiring story of Richard Montañez, “the Frito-Lay janitor who revolutionized the food industry and capitalized on his Mexican-American ancestry, turning Flamin’ Hot Cheetos from a snack into a pop culture phenomenon around the world”. This is how the Disney+ platform has summarized the plot of the film, which has already shared the official trailer in Spanish (and promises to be very entertaining):
Rounding out the cast are Annie Gonzalez (Gentefied) as Richard Montañez’s wife, Judy; Emilio Rivera (Sons of Anarchy, The Whole Truth, Venom: There Will Be Killing) as Richard’s father, Nacho; Dennis Haysbert (Far From Heaven, 24) as Richard’s mentor, Clarence; and Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Monk) as PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico.
A spicy controversy
The making of the film was accompanied by some controversy over the authorship of the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos; but Eva Longoria says her goal was always “to make sure we’re telling Richard Montañez’s story in an authentic way. We’re telling his story and his truth.”
For his part, Frito-Lay values “Richard’s contributions to our company, especially his knowledge of Hispanic consumers,” but maintains that the tasty invention “was created by a team of people and, as with all of our products, we do not credit one person for the invention of a product or the extension of a flavor.”
To avoid any conflict, the film is labeled “inspired by a true story”. Jesse Garcia, who plays Montañez, talks about his character with much enthusiasm: “I’m the guy who helped bring the world the most popular snack I’ve ever seen”.
And Eva Longoria concludes the debate: “We never set out to tell the Cheeto story. It’s Richard’s story, which is also our story. We are all Richard Montañez. And I think we will all identify with his perseverance and his faith in himself”.
Be that as it may, the spice is served! And Longoria is their biggest fan: “I don’t know if there’s a Mexican who doesn’t eat Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. I didn’t even know there were regular Cheetos. I grew up eating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. And one day I bought a bag and said, ‘Ugh, these taste weird.’ And they were regular Cheetos.
If you want to know more about her culinary passions, we tell you about the program in which the actress and director of Mexican descent discovers Mexico through its gastronomy.
