Production has officially wrapped on Eva Longoria’s upcoming biopic on the inventor of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Richard Montañez. The film, appropriately titled, Flamin’ Hot, serves as the Desperate Housewives star’s directorial debut.
“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,” Longoria told Variety following the final days of production. “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.”
The film comes from a script by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chávez, telling the story of Richard Montañez, the Mexican-American businessman who turned the iconic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos snack into a global pop culture phenomenon. The film is produced by DeVon Franklin for Franklin Entertainment.
“From the moment I found Richard Montañez’s story, I was inspired by his sheer determination to succeed against all odds,” says Franklin.
For now, Searchlight has yet to set a release date for the highly-anticipated project.
Flamin’ Hot stars Jesse Garcia as the Richard, who will appear alongside with Annie Gonzalez playing his wife, Judy. The rest of the cast includes Dennis Haysbert, Emilio Rivera, Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub, Matt Walsh, Pepe Serna, Bobby Soto, Jimmy Gonzales, and TikTok star Brice Gonzalez. Other names attached to the ensemble are Vanessa Martinez, Fabian Alomar, Mario Ponce, and Hunter Jones.
In a statement about the project, Searchlight Pictures presidents Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum praised Longoria and Franklin, expressing just how excited they are for the film to release.
“Eva and DeVon came to Searchlight with a powerhouse pitch, a singular vision and a deep passion for this exhilarating story of entrepreneurship,” they said. “We are thrilled to bring this film to audiences everywhere.”
This news comes on the heels of controversy surrounding Montañez’s story earlier this year, when a Los Angeles Times article disputed his role in the invention of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, backed up by statements from Frito-Lay.
In May, Montañez told Variety, “I was their greatest ambassador. But I will say this; you’re going to love your company more than they will ever love you. Keep that in perspective.”
He continued, “All I can tell you is what I did. All I have is my history, what I did in my kitchen.”
