This week, Entertainment Weekly released exclusive images for The Last Jedi that will appear in their magazine this week. The fan excitement was predictable with the release that revealed characters, places and creatures, but there was one image that set the Star Wars fandom into a “cuteness overload”! That image was of a PORG on the bridge of the Millennium Falcon.
The first thing I thought of when seeing this image was, “PORG Co-Pilot”!
What is a “Porg”?
Lucasfilm’s, Pablo Hidalgo expains,
“Porgs are native to Ahch-To, and can be found dwelling along the cliffs of the island where Luke and Rey are. In many ways, they’re the Star Wars version of puffins. They build nests. They can fly. Their babies are called porglets… Given how rarely their island has visitors, their curiosity outweighs any skittishness they may have… Ever since that roadside scavenger let out that belch outside Jabba’s palace in Return of the Jedi, the idea that there’s an entire animal kingdom living amid the drama and adventure of the Star Wars saga is a compelling one. Besides, porgs are cute. You fall into those deep, soulful eyes. I think a lot of people are going to want a porg as a pet.”
The Porg image has been around since July in a behind the scenes look at The Last Jedi, but it was only with the release of EW’s images that fans have taken notice and fallen in love!
The idea for the Porg came from The Last Jedi Director, Rian Johnson who based the creature on Puffins that occupy Skellig Island where the movie is being filmed. “If you go to Skellig at the right time of year, it’s just covered in puffins, and they’re the most adorable things in the world,” said Johnson in the EW interview, “So when I was first scouting there, I saw these guys, and I was like, oh, these are part of the island. And so the Porgs are in that realm.”
While some might cringe at the attention over a “cute critter” in the film that spark memories of the introduction of the Ewoks (who I LOVE and will always defend), not since Star Wars Rebels’ Loth-Cat, have I thought that something in the Star Wars universe was so adorable – and my daughters are in love!
Besides the “Awwwww!” I hear from my kids, the response from fans has been mostly positive. Fans have expressed their fandom through social media and our favorite – fan art. The following is a sample:
“Porg Dameron”, By artist Khairul Hisham
The Last Jedi Porgs – Dan Tube
The Last Jedi by bryaneward.com
Star Wars The Last Porg by SpacePuffin_
So get ready for Force Friday sales this September! You never know. There might get a chance to purchase your own “Porg Co-Pilot”.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in theaters December 2017.
