There was perhaps a missed opportunity for a signature SXSW branded stunt, such as a scratch and sniff experience while the film shows mesmerizing shots of Hot Cheetos tumbling around a big metal drum.ĭirector Eva Longoria wanted to tell the story of Richard and Judy Montañez in her feature directorial debut, Flamin' Hot.
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Yes, it's cheesy at times, but that's to be expected from a movie about spicy cheesy snacks and their (potential) origin. It's the definition of a crowd-pleaser, and the on-screen Richard and Judy are easy to root for. Times, despite learning of the dispute in 2019, Longoria, producer DeVon Franklin and production company Searchlight Pictures continued with the film, which will land on Hulu on June 9.Īt its premiere at SXSW, an enthusiastic crowd clapped and cheered for the on-screen Montañez as he produced and pitched his idea to the suits at Frito-Lay. Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Searchlight PicĪccording to the L.A. "All I have is my history, what I did in my kitchen," he said.įlamin' Hot premiered at the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals at The Paramount Theatre on March 11.
Montañez did not respond to the Times when they requested an interview, but the story did inspire statements from Frito-Lay parent company PepsiCo defending Montañez (though they notably didn't affirm his claims, either), and Montañez told Variety that a lack of documentation is to blame for the discrepancies. "We have interviewed multiple personnel who were involved in the test market, and all of them indicate that Richard was not involved in any capacity in the test market." "None of our records show that Richard was involved in any capacity in the Flamin' Hot test market," Frito-Lay wrote in a statement to the L.A. Left to right: Richard Montañez, Judy Montañez, director Eva Longoria, Annie Gonzalez and Jesse Garcia attend the Flamin' Hot world premiere at SXSW. Using corroborating testimonies from former Frito-Lay employees, the company's own internal investigation conducted in 2018, and a timeline of events, the report ultimately concludes Montañez worked on different products in the Flamin' Hot line, but didn't truly create Flamin' Hot Cheetos as he has claimed.
But there's a caveat: His rags-to-riches story might not actually be true.Ī 2021 investigation by the Los Angeles Times found that Flamin' Hot Cheetos were actually created by a team at the Frito-Lay headquarters in Plano, Texas, to compete with other spicy snacks in the Midwest. Montañez spent more than 40 years with Frito-Lay before retiring in 2019 and has also made a side career as a motivational speaker. The movie was adapted from the real-life Richard Montañez's memoirs, A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie and Flamin' Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man's Rise from Janitor to Top Executive, which recount how he worked his way to the top with his idea for Flamin' Hot snacks that would appeal to Hispanic customers. Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group via Getty Images Flamin' Hot Cheetos covers every food imaginable, from corn dogs to croissants.
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