A Movie About the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Creator Was Announced and We’re Hyped!

You know how much we love Cheetos here. Especially the Flamin’ Hot ones. That’s why we’re so excited about this film that was recently announced. 

Variety is reporting that Fox Searchlight and DeVon Franklin are set to produce the film Flamin’ Hot, and it will tell the true story of Richard Montanez, who rose from humble beginnings to a successful businessman when he created the food phenomenon, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. We’re relieved to know that it’s not about Chester the Cheetah.

MORE: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Ice Cream Might Just Solve All Your Snack Cravings

The film was apparently a hot commodity, according to Variety, as multiple studios were reportedly vying for the project. The biopic will tell the story of Montanez, the son of an immigrant, who grew up working on the farms in the fields of Southern California before becoming a janitor at Frito-Lay in the early 1990s. While working at the company, he came up with the idea to add chile to the chips and transformed the Frito-Lay brand into a pop culture phenomenon, disrupting the entire food industry in the process. When he got his hands on a bag of Cheetos without their signature cheese dust, he took it home and mixed it with a homemade seasoning mix similar to elote seasonings. It was that idea that ignited a billion-dollar brand and launched The Godfather of Multicultural Marketing from janitor to elite corporate executive.

Montanez shared his creation with coworkers until word of the creation reached the Frito-Lay president. After the chips became popular within the company, he went to the library to check out a book on business strategies and purchased a $3 tie. He met with company executives to pitch his idea for “Hot Cheetos” and now we have the delicious snack that we love so much. 

PLUS: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Bloody Mary: Yay or Nay?

The film is still in the early stages of pre-production but once it gets a release date, we’re in there. Will we see you there?