'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' release date, news: Riz Ahmed talks about Bodhi's emotional baggage

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" is going to introduce the audience to a slew of new characters. While the main focus will surely be on Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), former Imperial pilot Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed) is also going to play a vital role in the quest to acquire the blueprints of the Death Star.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ahmed shed some light on what his character is like.

"Bodhi is someone who's been running away his whole life. His planet gets occupied, so he goes, 'How do I get out of here?' And the way was by becoming a long-distance cargo pilot. But, of course, that comes with guilt. If you look down and you're wearing the same Imperial uniform with the same insignia that the people occupying your planet are wearing, it's guilt and a lot of running away. I had the idea that this character is jittery. He's jumpy. There's a restlessness to him. This comes from the trauma and guilt," he said.

It sounds like Bodhi is going to be one twitchy guy. Seeing that "Rogue One" has the most diverse cast of any "Star Wars" film, Ahmed also said he felt the "Star Wars" franchise was leading the way for diversity in Hollywood.

Meanwhile, Lucasfilm's creative executive Pablo Hidalgo just about confirmed that "Rogue One" is going to have a total runtime of 133 minutes while answering a fan's question on Twitter.

@AloBrickfilm2 That sounds about right.

— Pablo Hidalgo (@pablohidalgo) November 26, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">

Well, that's not exactly a surprise. The previous "Star Wars" films all have a runtime of over 120 minutes, and last year's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" had a runtime of 135 minutes

In other news, composer Michael Giacchino has revealed that he was only given four and a half weeks to complete the film's score. He said the time constraints stressed him out, but he still managed to have fun while working on it.

"Rogue One" is scheduled to premiere on Dec. 16, in the United States.

News
Violence and persecution driving global Christian exodus, report warns
Violence and persecution driving global Christian exodus, report warns

Aid to the Church in Need, which produced the report, called the oppression of Christians "a human rights catastrophe the world refuses to acknowledge".

More than 60 killed in attacks on Ethiopian Christians, Orthodox Church says
More than 60 killed in attacks on Ethiopian Christians, Orthodox Church says

Children were reportedly among the dead as families fled violence in Oromia.

Church mentioned in St Jerome's letters may have been discovered
Church mentioned in St Jerome's letters may have been discovered

Archaeologists in northern Italy have identified the likely site of an early Christian church that St. Jerome described in a letter in A.D. 396, along with a nearby building believed to have been the bishop’s palace in the ancient city of Altino.

Jordan carries out retaliatory strikes in Syria after deadly church attack
Jordan carries out retaliatory strikes in Syria after deadly church attack

Patriarch Theophilos III has visited survivors of the attack in hospital.