Remember that recent behind-the-scenes footage of Star Wars: The Last Jedi? Of course you do. And not because of hints towards a “shocking” plot twist. No, it’s stuck in your mind thanks to a certain chubby Furby/guinea pig puppet.
It was only on-screen for a second, yet it filled the galaxy with a thousand ‘awwhs’. And it turns out the alien has a name: it's a Porg.
Speaking to StarWars.com, Lucasfilm Story Group’s Pablo Hidalgo explained the critters are native to Ahch-To, the planet Luke Skywalker was hiding on during the events of The Force Awakens.
“Porgs can be found dwelling along the cliffs of the island where Luke and Rey are,” said Hidalgo. “In many ways, they’re the Star Wars version of puffins. They build nests. They can fly. Their babies are called Porglets.”
Yes, you read that right: PORGLETS.
Also, turns out they’re friendly creatures. “Given how rarely their island has visitors, their curiosity outweighs any skittishness they may have,” explained Hidalgo. “I think a lot of people are going to want a Porg as a pet.”
And expect to see a lot more of them in The Last Jedi, with Hidalgo speaking about the aliens in plural form: “Sometimes they’re puppets, with the puppeteers digitally removed from the shot”.
All in all, great news for the Porg race, but this is surely cause for concern for others. In particular, the Ewoks: will the Porgs de-throne the Endor teddy bears as the galaxy’s cutest critter when The Last Jedi is released? We’ve not got too long to find out…
Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be released 15th December 2017
