You can always count on a new Star Wars movie to introduce numerous new alien species to the franchise, and the cutest of the bunch that will be featured in The Last Jedi are unquestionably the Porgs. Ever since the space puffin was seen in The Last Jedi's D23 behind-the-scenes footage, Porg fever has been running high within the Star Wars community. This is perhaps best exemplified by the picture Last Jedi director Rian Johnson posted on Twitter, showing him with posing with someone in a Porg costume.
We're still a month and a half away from seeing exactly how the Porgs will fit into Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but that doesn't matter, because these adorable creatures have already secured a lot of fans, like Dana Wickens, a media producer who attended the same party as Rian Johnson in full Porg attire. Wickens told Syfy Wire that she decided to dress up even though this wasn't explicitly intended to be a costume party, and the fact that Johnson was at the celebration came as a complete surprise to Wickens. As for the costume itself, Wickens said she put it together in two nights, with the list of materials including the following:
Lots of felt, stuffing, a men's XL hoodie, a hat, and constant glue-gun action. I used my Porg stuffed animal that my co-worker had gifted me as an inspiration [laughs].
While there have been a fair amount of Porg detractors, who fear that they'll be akin to Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace or the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi, it's safe to say that overall reception to these furry critters has been fairly positive. Dana Wickens certainly got a head start on donning a Porg costume, though we'll have to wait a whole year to see if a lot of folks will be dressing up like them for Halloween. That said, keep an eye out for Porg cosplayers if you're attending a convention.
Like the Caretakers, the Porgs are one of the native species of Ahch-To, meaning that Rey will be seeing a lot of them while training with Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi. These alien sea birds (which are both practical effect and CGI creations, depending on the scenes) are able to fly short distances and are very inquisitive. One of the Porgs will also be hanging out with Chewbacca aboard the Millennium Falcon, and it was recently revealed that this Porg in particular was deliberately colored to resemble the Wookie.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be released in theaters on December 15. To find out when the year's remaining movies are coming out, look through our 2017 premiere guide, and get a jump start on next year's cinematic offerings with our 2018 premiere guide.
