Eva Longoria has found the leads for her directorial debut, Flamin’ Hot, which chronicles the real-life tale of a Frito-Lay janitor who invented the Cheetos flavor that became a global sensation. Jesse Garcia (Quinceañera) will play Richard Montanez, the man who created Flamin’ Hot Cheetos by combining the flavors of his Mexican-American heritage with the cheesy snack food, while Annie Gonzalez (Gentefied) rounds out the main roles as his wife Judy. Via Deadline:
Said Longoria in a statement, “It has been my biggest priority to make sure we are telling Richard Montañez’s story authentically. I am so happy to have two extremely talented and fellow Mexican-Americans on board in these pivotal roles. Jesse and Annie have a deep understanding of our community and will be able to help tell this story of great importance for our culture.”
Flamin’ Hot was announced back in August 2019 with Longoria attached to direct for Fox Searchlight. Presumably, the pandemic slowed down production on the film, but Longoria has remained committed to telling Montanez’s story of a Mexican immigrant who went from custodian for a potato chip conglomerate to the inventor of one of the most popular flavors in snacking history. Also along for the ride is Gentefied writer Linda Yvette Chavez, who was recently brought aboard to revise the script. It seems like a nice story that will leave your heart warm and your taste buds ablaze. Who could possibly ask for more, you know?
(Via Deadline)
