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Walt Disney Co. (DIS) announced a roster of Twentieth Century Fox executives who will be joining the company's film operations once the $71 billion acquisition of Fox closes.

Disney will add veteran Fox executives Emma Watts, Nancy Utley, Stephen Gilula and Elizabeth Gabler to Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn's team.

Mr. Horn has presided over the most successful film slate in recent Hollywood history, with hit franchises across Disney's Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios and Pixar Animation divisions.

Ms. Watts is the highest-ranking Fox film executive joining Disney; she currently serves as vice chairman of Fox Film and president of production. Ms. Utley and Mr. Gilula oversee Fox Searchlight, the specialty label that will likely produce features for Disney's new streaming services, set to launch next year. Ms. Gabler is head of Fox 2000.

Fox executives specializing in animation and family entertainment--Andrea Miloro, Robert Baird and Vanessa Morrison--will join Disney and report to Mr. Horn and Ms. Watts.

Notably not joining Disney after the merger is completed: Stacey Snider, the veteran studio chief who runs Fox's film studio and is Ms. Watts's boss. Integrating the two teams is crucial to Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger's bet on direct-to-consumer offerings that will pipe Disney and Fox programming directly into the home.

Disney is buying 21st Century Fox Inc. (FOX, FOXA) entertainment assets, including Fox's Hollywood studio and some U.S. cable networks. A new "Fox" company will contain Fox News and other assets that aren't being sold to Disney.

Fox shares common ownership with News Corp (NWS), the parent company of Dow Jones.

--Write to Erich Schwartzel at erich.schwartzel@wsj.com; @erichschwartzel

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 18, 2018 13:54 ET (17:54 GMT)

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