Jay Leno, the legendary comedy writer, standup comedian and late night TV host, will be honored at the upcoming Burbank International Film Festival with BIFF’s Vanguard Award, the fest’s organizers announced on Monday.

The celebration will take place during the fest’s awards gala at the Marriott Burbank on Saturday, Aug. 8. It will kick off with the mayor of the city of Burbank, Tamala Takahashi, issuing a special proclamation recognizing Leno’s impact on the city — which is home to NBC Studios, where Leno recorded The Tonight Show for over 20 years, and to Leno’s beloved car garage — and declaring that date ‘Jay Leno Day.’

Leno will then participate in an hourlong career-retrospective conversation — moderated by yours truly, and recorded for subsequent airing as an episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast — after which he will be presented with his award.

Previous recipients of BIFF’s Vanguard Award include Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton and Paul Feig, all of whom also have ties to Burbank.

“Jay Leno represents the very best of the entertainment industry,” BIFF president Anna Maybury said in a statement. “His contributions to television have shaped generations of comedy and late-night entertainment, while his dedication to philanthropy demonstrates the character and generosity that inspire us all.”

Added BIFF advisory board member Tony Muscio, “We’re proud to honor Jay Leno, who has spent a lifetime making people laugh. His double-denim style, automotive prowess, and dedication to his craft set him apart. He’s even performing at Flappers Comedy Club right after being honored!”

The city of Burbank, nicknamed the “Media Capital of the World,” is home to over 1,000 media companies, including Hollywood giants Warner Bros. Pictures, Walt Disney Company and NBC Studios.

For more information about the 2026 edition of BIFF, click here. And to purchase tickets to the awards gala, which will be emceed by actress Kambra Potter, click here.

Marilyn Monroe would’ve been 100 years old this summer, and she’s still inspiring big-screen projects.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is heading to the Venice Film Festival this September where she will serve as jury president and debut a 17-minute short film called Flesh Impact starring both Dakota Johnson and Ellen Burstyn as versions of the iconic Hollywood star.

The milestone birthday is no coincidence as the project was created to honor the moment and was done “with the blessings” of Monroe estate holders Authentic Brands Group. Described in official press materials as “a love letter to one of cinema’s most enduring icons,” Flesh Impact casts Johnson as Monroe at the height of her fame while Burstyn stars as an imagined version of Monroe later in life. (Monroe was 36 when she died on Aug. 4, 1962.) Peter Sarsgaard and The Pitt star Sepideh Moafi round out the cast.

The film is produced by William Green for The Cut, Michelle Ross for Superprime, Nicolette Spencer and Melissa Moore for INNOCEAN, and is presented by automotive brand Genesis. Maddi Carlton, Brandon Boerner, Rebecca Skinner, David Webb and Courtney Kivowitz serve as executive producers.

“I’ve always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe. So, when Genesis first came to me with the idea of a celebratory project for her centennial, I knew I wanted to work together on bringing this story to life,” Gyllenhaal said in a statement. “With Flesh Impact, we showcase the timeless icon we know and love through a modern lens that reclaims her story.”

Gyllenhaal’s creative team also included production designer Karen Murphy (Elvis), casting director Mary Vernieu (The Last of Us), costume designer Jennifer Johnson (Bugonia), editor Affonso Gonçalves (Hamnet) and director of photography Lawrence Sher (The Bride).

“At Genesis, we believe the arts have a unique ability to inspire reflection, spark meaningful conversation, and connect people through stories that endure across generations,” said Amy Marentic, chief marketing officer at Genesis Motor America. “Our support of this film honoring Marilyn Monroe reflects our commitment to celebrating cultural icons whose influence extends far beyond their time.”

The full Venice Film Festival lineup can be found here. Burstyn has other official business at the festival: She stars in Kornel Mundruczo’s out of competition title Place to Be and has been plucked to receive a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement.

The first look at Flesh Impact was first reported by Vanity Fair. “This film is very much a mixture of Marilyn and my fantasy of her,” Gyllenhaal told the magazine’s Rebecca Ford. “In a lot of ways, this movie is about Marilyn and also about actresses in general and what it’s like to have that strange, very vulnerable, and, at the same time, very powerful job.”

Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, has revealed that he had to sell his house at the time because he didn’t make enough money.

During a recent interview with The Guardian, Astin, who now serves as the national president of the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA, opened up about finding fame in the early 2000s when the Peter Jackson-directed film franchise became a global phenomenon, grossing $2.9 billion at the worldwide box office.

“I was not prepared for that level of visibility and access,” Astin admitted. “And there was a disconnect between the attention that I was getting and how much money we had. It was not a lot of money!”

“In fact, I had to sell my house because I negotiated such a small amount on the trilogy,” the actor added. He previously shared on the Jim and Sam Show in 2017 that he earned “$75,000 a movie,” which would make his salary for the whole trilogy around $250,000.

Despite becoming one of the highest-grossing film series of all time, Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins, told Business Insider last year that the production company New Line Cinema took “a real gamble” financially, filming all three movies at once. As a result, the ensemble cast did not receive “massive salaries.”

“Because we weren’t making one movie and then renegotiating a contract for the next, it wasn’t the sort of lucrative scenario that you could sort of rest easy for the rest of your life,” Wood explained, adding that the trade-off was “that we were also signing up for something that was going to be a part of our lives forever.”

It’s been over two decades since The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003) hit theaters, and Astin told The Guardian that he’s “very comfortable financially now.”

As for what’s next for the franchise, Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum is currently in development from director Andy Serkis, while another installment with the working title The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past is also being co-written by Stephen Colbert.

Astin hasn’t been confirmed to reprise his role, but he said, “I don’t think anybody is opposed to it. We’d all love to connect to those characters, particularly if it’s done with such sensitivity as we heard.” As for whether he’ll fight for better pay this time, he added, “Goddam right.”