Eva Longoria has been selected to direct Flamin’ Hot, the biopic centered around the creator of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Longoria has previously worked as a director for a number of notable television shows, including Black-ish, Jane the Virgin, and The Mick.
Flamin’ Hot was announced in February. It will tell the story of Richard Montanez. The son of a Mexican immigrant, Montanez grew up as a migrant farm worker. He picked grapes in the fields of Southern California before becoming a janitor at Frito-Lay. From those humbling beginnings, mopping the floors at a snack food company, Montanez would work his way up to an executive role at PepsiCo which owns Frito-Lay. Montanez is also the author of a book about his unlikely success story and is known for speaking out about the importance of diversity in business. Though the biopic is still in its early stages, it’s likely that a portion of the plot will focus on how the idea for extra spicy Cheetos was conceived and how Montanez pushed for his product to none other than the CEO of PepsiCo.
Deadline reports that Longoria was selected as the director of Flamin’ Hot, beating out several other contenders, after impressing producer DeVon Franklin with her authentic approach to telling Montanez’s story. The screenplay for the biopic comes from Lewis Colick, who previously wrote Charlie St. Cloud and October Sky. Best known for her role as Gabrielle Solis on every season of Desperate Housewives, and currently featured in the live-action adaptation of Dora the Explorer, Longoria is also attached as a director for the upcoming workplace comedy 24/7, starring Kerry Washington.
Longoria has been open about the importance of changing stereotypes about the Hispanic community. In interviews, the actress has criticized the tendency of pop culture to portray Hispanics in a certain light and alluded to the fact that those portrayals can negatively impact younger generations. In her other projects, such as the television series Grand Hotel, Longoria cited the fact that she’s been mindful of including more positive depictions. She has also spoke candidly about the obstacles that women directors face.
Given these beliefs, and given that Montanez’s journey is one of triumph, Longoria looks to be a great choice to direct Flamin’ Hot. Shedding light on the relatively unknown origins of a snack which so many people enjoy, the biopic is an affirmation of the fact that anyone is capable of transcending their beginnings if given an opportunity.
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Source: Deadline
