“Flamin’ Hot” is a new Christian movie that tells the story of how a Mexican janitor helped transform one of the most popular snacks of all time.
About the Flamin’ Hot Movie
The movie “Flamin’ Hot” is based on the true story of Richard Montañez. Directed by Eva Longoria, it stars Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, and Tony Shalhoub.
Viewers can watch the movie starting June 9 on Hulu and Disney Plus.
Critics gave mixed, but mostly positive reviews of the movie ahead of its major release.
True Story Behind the Film
A janitor at Frito-Lay in the 1970s, Montañez eventually helped influence a new take on the snack. Montañez was eventually promoted to a sales position, thanks to the popular snack’s success. He then became a regional vice president, before retiring from Frito-Lay in 2019.
Montañez has claimed that God gave him the idea for what would become Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
“God gives you the ability to see the unseen. He’ll give you a vision,” Montañez reportedly has said. “I saw how God brought things into existence out of nothing.”
He added, “I prayed to God to give me that ability. I said, ‘God give me an idea.’ He literally gave me an idea of Hot Cheetos.”
But, Montañez was also inspired by the flavors of his Mexican heritage and spicy food he grew up eating. It appears that this angle is the driving force for much of the movie.
Montanez shared his story in the 2021 book, Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive.
Controversy Over Claims
Frito-Lay revealed in 2021 that it was unable to verify Montañez’s claims that he invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
“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. Times. “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. That doesn’t mean we don’t celebrate Richard, but the facts do not support the urban legend.”
Watch “Flamin’ Hot”
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