'Star Wars 7' News, D23 Expo 2013 Casting, Plot SPOILERS: Disney Keeps Us Waiting for 2015's 'Episode VII,' J.J. Abrams & Kathleen Kennedy No Shows

The 2013 Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, was rumored to be the stage for announcing casting, plot and general news for the J.J. Abrams-directed 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII. But what we learned from today's event is that rumors are not always true. There were no new announcements. There were no casting revelations. In fact, producer Kathleen Kennedy and director Abrams were not even in attendance.

Today served as a recap of what we already know - some of which we have known for quite some time. Disney chief Alan Horn came out to make the announcements today, and he was very adamant about the 2015 release date. Here is an excerpt from Slashfilm's coverage of the Expo:

Horn basically recapped the info we know: Michael Arndt is scripting, J.J. Abrams is directing, and John Williams will provide the score for Star Wars: Episode VII. Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg are working on spin-off movies. And while there has been some speculation that the film would arrive later than 2015, Horn said the film would arrive in the summer of that year, as originally intended.

So there you have it. That is honestly all that came out of this biannual event. Everyone is pretty disappointed about the lack of news but the Expo served as good publicity for Disney's other projects including Captain America: Winter Soldier, Tomorrowland, Maleficent, and plenty of other projects.

Here is the press release for Disney's 2013 D23 Expo that advertised Star Wars as its main attraction:

"Star Wars at D23 Expo! - For the first time at the D23 Expo, Star Wars fans can have access to experiences created for them by Lucasfilm and Disney. Darth Vader: The Evolution of a Villain, located in the DCP pavilion, showcases the development of the iconic villain from early concepts to striking realization. Crash Course in the Force: Star Wars Saga 101, presented by Lucasfilm's resident authority Pablo Hidalgo in Stage 23, will give Star Wars newbies and experts alike a thorough grounding in all matters of the Force and the Star Wars legacy."