Flamin’ Hot: The story behind the spicy Cheetos flavor gets crunched in the new trailer

Last Updated on May 25, 2023

Spice up your viewing with the online debut of the new trailer from Searchlight Pictures about the gang member who became a janitor and then became a snack mogul in Flamin’ Hot. Actress Eva Longoria, best known for her comedic turn on Desperate Housewives, steps behind the camera to for this family-friendly story in her directorial feature film debut. Longoria compiles a cast including Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Emilio Rivera, Tony Shaloub, Matt Walsh, Pepe Serna, Bobby Soto, Jimmy Gonzalez, Brice Gonzalez, Vanessa Martinez, Fabian Alomar, Mario Ponce, and Hunter Jones.

The synopsis from Searchlight reads,
Flamin’ Hot is the inspiring true story of Ricardo Montañez (Jesse Garcia) who as a Frito Lay janitor disrupted the food industry by channeling his Mexican American heritage to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos from a snack into an iconic, global, pop culture phenomenon.

Interestingly, the Frito-Lay company disputes the accuracy of Montañez’s story according to Variety. The chip company would account in an article from the Los Angeles Times in 2021 that employees located in the Upper Midwest actually created Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Frito-Lay would go on to say, “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.” One of the writers of the film, Lewis Cowlick, defended Montañez’s story saying, “The heart and soul and spirit of the story is true. “He is a guy who should remain the face of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.”

Flamin’ Hot is produced by Devon Franklin, and the screenplay was written by scribes Lewis Cowlick and Linda Yvette Chàvez. It’s a rarity to get films based on the inventions of food flavors, however the story of Ricardo Montañez is one about redemption, rediscovery of self, perseverance, and a fun account of how the food industry creates the popular snack items that are enjoyed by both children and adults. This will be the first feature narrative Eva Longoria has directed, although she has a bevy of experience directing TV shows, which include series like Black-ish, Why Women Kill, Jane the Virgin, and The Mick.

The spicy story will be ready to snack exclusively on Hulu and Disney+ on June 9.