Star Wars: 20 Things You Didn't Know About The Last Jedi
19. The Porgs Were Created For One Specific Reason
Another relatively polarising aspect of The Last Jedi was the introduction of the Porgs, a species of bird native to Ahch-To, the planet where Luke exiled himself.
The creatures were compared to Ewoks by some fans, who felt that they were blatant "merch-bait" intended to appeal to very young children. Yet in actual fact, the Porgs came about as a result of practical problem-solving during shooting.
While filming the Ahch-To scenes on the Irish island of Skellig Michael, the shoot was constantly interrupted by native puffins who would fly into shot.
And so, because the puffins were a protected species and couldn't be touched, Johnson decided to simply include the puffins in the film but alter their appearance with CGI, because this was cheaper and easier than having them all painted out digitally.
And so, the Porgs were born.