Eva Longoria has signed on to direct Fox Searchlight’s biopic about the man who created the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Now, before you scoff and wonder aloud the lengths Hollywood will go to for recognisable content, this film isn’t quite as ridiculous as it first sounds.
Richard Montanez created the Cheetos. He was the son of an immigrant, growing up as a migrant farm worker picking grapes in the fields of Southern California before becoming a janitor at Frito-Lay, where Cheetos are made.
While working at the company, Montanez came up with the idea to create Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. The new category became wildly popular and transformed the brand into a pop culture phenomenon. So while a biopic based around Flamin’ Hot Cheetos perhaps seems trivial, a true story about a man rising from humble beginnings to a successful businessman fits the Hollywood mould perfectly.
Longoria will direct from a script by Lewis Colick (Charlie St. Cloud). Zahra Phillips is overseeing the project for Franklin Entertainment, while Taylor Friedman will oversee for Searchlight. The project has actually been in quiet development since early 2018.
Flamin’ Hot will mark Longoria’s feature directorial debut. She’s previously directed plenty of TV, including episodes of Black-ish and The Mick. She’s also attached to direct and produce Universal’s 24/7, which she’ll also star in alongside Kerry Washington. She’ll next be seen onscreen in Paramount’s Dora The Explorer movie.
Despite Fox being bought by Disney, the Fox name (including Fox Searchlight) will still be used to produce films that, essentially, doesn’t fit the Disney name. Despite its universal appeal, Flamin’ Hot fits into that category. Attention will now turn to who will snag the lead role.
#Peace.Love.FlaminHot
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