Is “Flamin’ Hot” a True Story? – “Flamin’ Hot” is an upcoming production in the United States that stars Eva Longoria. Written by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette, its script centers around Richard Montaez’s true life journey from being a janitor to becoming the inventor of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos – his extraordinary journey led him from being just another ordinary Joe janitor all the way up to becoming an executive. Talented actors Tony Shalhoub, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, and Jesse Garcia all-star in this production.
“Flamin’ Hot” made its premiere at South by Southwest on March 11, 2023, and will become available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+ beginning June 9, 2023.
Jesse Garcia portrays Richard Montaez in this film, directed by Eva Longoria and scripted by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette. Montaez’s incredible journey from being an unsung janitorial worker at Frito-Lay to offering groundbreaking ideas to its CEO has long inspired audiences, so much so that audiences have been riveted ever since his life story made headlines worldwide. Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, and Tony Shalhoub make up additional notable performances within this biopic of Montaez’s journey!
However, an article published by the Los Angeles Times two years ago raised serious doubts regarding Montaez’s claims and cast doubt upon the accuracy of “Flamin’ Hot.” To learn more and uncover the truth about the events depicted within, let’s keep reading further to investigate each detail and unearth more details.
True Story Behind “Flamin’ Hot” Movie
“Flamin’ Hot” takes inspiration from Richard Montaez’s book titled, “A Boy, a Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive.” Published in 2013, this work provides a true account of Montaez’s journey from being a janitor at Frito Lay to pitching his idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos before ascending the company ranks to an executive position.
However, in 2021 just weeks before filming was scheduled to start, an investigative piece by the Los Angeles Times cast serious doubt upon Montaez’s claims and found him not the actual creator of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos line, an event likely impacting upon director Eva Longoria as well as writers Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chavez who all believed Montaez. This change subsequently had an adverse effect on filming schedules as well as the confidence of Eva Longoria as director and Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chavez writers in their trust in writing materializing.
As Montez was involved with creating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, his role was questioned, and its credibility could not be taken for granted. How they addressed this obstacle remains to be seen, given conflicting information surrounding Montaez’s creation of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos is yet to be seen in terms of storytelling in their film.
How Accurate is the Flamin’ Hot movie to its Real-Life Counterpart?
“Flamin’ Hot” attempts to reconcile Richard Montaez’s account of events with those presented in a Los Angeles Times article. Yet, readers familiar with its findings may remain suspicious about its accuracy. Los Angeles Times reporter Sam Dean conducted extensive research, interviewing over a dozen former Frito-Lay employees and reviewing records, in addition to receiving a statement from Frito-Lay about Montaez originating the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos line. All evidence points toward Montaez not having initiated it himself.
Frito-Lay conducted an internal investigation and confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that Montaez’s claims were false, labeling them an “urban legend.” Per their official statement, there is no documentation proving Richard participated in any capacity in Flamin’ Hot’s test market; individuals involved have also confirmed this fact. While Richard’s contributions to understanding Hispanic markets are highly regarded, he cannot take credit for creating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or any other Flamin’ Hot products.
Dean’s investigation concluded that in 1989, employees at Frito-Lay’s headquarters in Plano, Texas came up with the concept for the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos brand. Lynne Greenfeld claims she created the name and established it. Later in the 2000s, Montaez started taking credit for creating this snack, and Greenfeld alerted Frito-Lay about this when Montaez claimed credit as its inventor; due to inconsistencies between Montaez’s account and the actual timeline of the product’s creation, Frito-Lay concluded he did not create this brand or any related products such as it.
The film centers on the assumption that Montaez did invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Following the publication of an article by Los Angeles Times journalist Lisa D’Amico in August 2009, co-writer Linda Yvette Chavez explained they added new information into the script while also changing an allusion to Greenfeld’s team conducting product testing in the Midwest region.
Noteworthy is the absence of explicit caveats or disclaimers from this film, aside from one transitional scene. Closing title cards support Richard’s central claim of creating a billion-dollar industry involving Flamin’ Hot products; however, it remains unclear that these Flamin’ Hot brands are unrelated to Montaez and his supposed invention of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
According to reports in The Los Angeles Times, Montaez played an essential part in marketing Frito-Lay products to Latino consumers in Los Angeles under the brand name Sabrositas. Montaez likely used his biography to draw attention to his role with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and promote this initiative.
Cheetos appear throughout “Flamin’ Hot,” yet their namesake is rarely mentioned – perhaps attributable to Searchlight’s legal team.
The fact is, Montaez excelled within Frito-Lay and played an essential role in helping Frito-Lay recognize Latino market potential. Linda Yvette Chavez believes this story deserves to be told and was hired specifically to depict Richard as an iconic figure within PepsiCo while documenting his contributions to Latino advertising.
Did Richard Montanez Really invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos?
Richard Montaez remains at the center of an ongoing controversy regarding Flamin’ Hot Cheetos’ creation, though its source remains elusive. Montaez and his family maintain that he played an instrumental role in its conception; former Frito-Lay executive Al Carey backs this contention; however, Frito-Lay as a corporation as well as the majority of former employees as well as Los Angeles Times reporter Sam Dean is against this assertion; thus disproving Montaez as a creator.
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