Eva Longoria at the helm of Richard Montañez’s bio pic.
By Bel Hernandez
The lead actors for Eva Longoria’s directorial debut, Flamin’ Hot, the true story about the janitor who invented the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, were announced today. Jesse Garcia and Annie Gonzalez will play the central characters.
Flamin’ Hot is a rag to riches story about a son of Mexican immigrants based on Richard Montañez’s autobiographical book “A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie.” It revolves around Montañez’s work as a janitor at the Frito Lay plant in Rancho Cucamonga, California. It was there he came up with the idea to infuse Cheetos with the unique flavor, inspired by the Mexican grilled corn on the cobb known in Spanish as elote. At work, Montañez would ask for the throwaway batch of uncheesed Cheetos. He would take them home and experiment adding chili and lime.
Garcia (Narcos: Mexico, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series) landed the lead role of Richard Montañez. The indie film Quinceañera, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, set the actor’s Hollywood career in motion, leading to his first major leading role in a film.
For her part, Gonzalez will play Richard’s wife Judy Montañez. A self-identifying Chicana, Gonzalez is best known in her role as the fiercely intelligent and beautiful Linda Solis in Netflix’s Gentefied. Most recently, she was cast in the ABC pilot Bucktown. The actress was also one of the original dancers on Jamm X Kids on the WB.
In a town where books becoming films may take up to twenty years, it took Montañez about five. He took meetings with established Latino and non-Latinos producers and eventually signed on with award-winning film and TV producer Devon Franklin‘s company Franklin Entertainment (Miracles From Heaven).
“It has been my biggest priority to make sure we are telling Richard Montañez’s story authentically,” said Longoria. “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.”
Linda Yvette Chavez has joined the production, adding revision to Lewis Colick’s penned screenplay. Chavez is also currently adapting I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter for America Ferrera’s directorial debut.
Searchlight is producing Taylor Friedman as VP of production and Zahra Phillips as director of development. Montañez himself will also serve as executive producer.
The film is set to begin shooting this summer in New Mexico.