We know: you thought we’d seen the weirdest subject for a ‘based on a true story’ movie earlier this year in Air. Or Cocaine Bear. Or Tetris. But hold our fluorescent orange knobbly snack, because the wildest is yet to come. Chances are, you’ve never asked how Cheetos came to be, as you stuff a bag of the delicious can-you-really-call-them-crisps into your mouth. But apparently, there’s a film-worthy origin story for them – and we’ll see it later this year.
The film, amusingly, is titled Flamin’ Hot, it’s directed by none other than Eva Longoria (yes, that Eva Longoria), and it’s hitting our screens this summer. It also has a hilarious first poster, appropriately appropriating Michelango’s Creation Of Adam for a snack whose flavour could, perhaps, be described as divine.
The film stars Jesse Garcia as Richard Montañez – a janitor at Frito Lay who claimed to have invented the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto. The film is based on Montañez’s memoir A Boy, A Burrito, And A Cookie: From Janitor To Executive, adapted by screenwriters Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chávez. It marks Longoria’s feature directorial debut, and played at SXSW earlier this year to positive reviews.
The poster also confirms that the film is heading to streaming – it’ll hit Hulu and Disney+ on 9 June. Hopefully that means in the UK too. A home release means you can eat as many Cheetos as you like while watching, without interrupting your fellow audience members with all that crunching. Just, don't be foolish enough to watch it without snacks present.