Inspiring story behind creation of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos is coming to theaters

The inspiring story of the man indirectly responsible for deliciously red fingertips around the world is coming to the silver screen.

Sometimes all you need is a machine error and a multi-million dollar idea inspired by a popular Mexican street snack. Just ask Flamin’ Hot Cheetos founder Richard Montanez, former Frito Lay janitor turned PepsiCo executive whose rags-to-riches story is coming to the big screen.

According to Variety, Fox Searchlight has signed up to produce Flamin’ Hot, the story of how the son of Mexican immigrants working in the fields invented America’s favorite spicy snack and changed the industry forever as the godfather of multicultural marketing.

In an interview with Inc., Montanez offered a glimpse into the extraordinary story that had multiple studios across Hollywood competing to tell. Born in Mexico and raised in Southern California, the now top-tier executive was a high school dropout struggling to learn English, helping his family pick grapes and dreaming of driving a trash truck.

After securing a job as a janitor at a Frito Lay factory in Rancho Cucamonga, a company-wide message from the president asking employees to act like an owner motivated Montanez to think big.

When a machine error at the factory left a sample of Cheetos undusted and cheeseless, he saw an opportunity. He took the plain cornmeal puffs home, coated them in powder inspired by Mexican street vendor classic, elote (corn on the cob covered with butter, cheese, and chili).

One trip to the library for books on business and a presentation to Frito executives later, his homemade recipe hit the shelves as Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

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Montanez is now an executive at Frito Lay parent company PepsiCo and a motivational speaker. His iconic bright red blend of spices can now be found on Taco Bell’s Flamin’ Hot Crunchwrap Supreme, Burger King’s Flamin’ Hot Mac n’ Cheese, million’s of people’s fingers, and soon, the silver screen.