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Helmed by Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, Flamin' Hot is taken from Richard Montañez’s memoir, A Boy, a Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive. Montañez has claimed to be the inventor of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the spicy version of the corn puff snack, which became uber-popular right after it was launched.
Though Frito-Lay, the manufacturer, contested Montañez’s claim, the team attached to Flamin' Hot nonetheless went ahead with the narrative. The biographical comedy-drama started rolling in May 2021, and the filming schedule lasted four months.
During that period, the team set up camp in New Mexico and Texas, with Albuquerque serving as the primary location along with Plano. Flamin' Hot, which was shown at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March, was filmed in Albuquerque for eight weeks.
While talking to the Albuquerque Journal, Eva Longoria said the production was initially planned for Atlanta, but they finally settled for the New Mexican city a week before the cast and crew hit the sets.
Longoria was “happy” Flamin' Hot was filmed in Albuquerque instead of Atlanta
Quoting the New Mexico Film Office, Albuquerque Journal stated that the team of Flamin' Hot was assisted by roughly 44 local principal cast members, over 200 local crew members, and 875 extras and background artists, which left the director very impressed.
She was also surprised to discover that Albuquerque is “an easy city to navigate.” She said:
“Albuquerque is similar enough to Los Angeles but unique enough to be New Mexican. It was really easy to find locations.”
About shifting from Atlanta, Longoria, who is making her feature directorial debut with Flamin' Hot, said:
“We were originally supposed to shoot in Atlanta, and I just kept thinking how do we get around those trees and the sky is different there…A week before prep, we decided to move production to Albuquerque. I was so happy to shoot in Albuquerque over Atlanta.”
Nicknamed Duke City, Albuquerque is the busiest city in New Mexico. The place is synonymous with the very popular TV show, Breaking Bad. It’s said that the meth-based series has been a catalyst in increasing tourism to the place. The Walter White house, which is an actual residence and not a film set, is one of the top tourist attractions.
Located 646.8 miles from Albuquerque and 365 miles from Longoria’s Texan native city, Corpus Christi, is Plano. Frito-Lay, the firm behind Cheetos, is headquartered here, and it seems Longoria wanted to shoot Flamin' Hot on the site to maintain authenticity.
The North Texan city has been home to several other productions like Dallas (1978–1991), A Killing in a Small Town (1990 TV Movie), Running the Bases (2022), She Gets What She Wants (2002), and Into the Spotlight (2023), among others.
Called the Balloon Capital of Texas, Plano is noted for its hot-air balloon festival held every September. The 2023 dates are from 21 to 24, with the tickets priced at $10 (adults) and $5 (children aged 3-12 years and those aged above 65). It is free entry for other kids, military personnel, and first responders.
There is also something called All Day Play Wristbands that come for $20 and Individual Tickets that are priced at $2.50, according to the official website.
Flamin' Hot is currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
