• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, March 14, 2013

DreamWorks Animation will link with "American Idol," looking to drive traffic to its new film "The Croods," which opens March 22. Show contestants will sing "Shine Your Way" from the 3D comedy on the March 14 results show.

As the contestants sing the original song for the film, footage will be on display behind them.

The promotion includes two members of the broader Fox family, as 20th Century Fox will be distributing the DreamWorks film. Under a new five-year deal, the 20th Century Fox studio will be distributing that film and others from DreamWorks starting this year, although DreamWorks retains some rights. The arrangement requires marketing support.

The music, which involves the USC marching band, will be released by Relativity Music Group March 19 -- just before the film opening. The film stars include Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds.

DreamWorks Animation, a publicly traded entity, has four more films teed up over the next two years.

"American Idol" has seen ratings drop this season. For its Wednesday show, by one metric, ratings in the 18-to-49 demo are down 19% to a 5.4 average, while the Thursday results show has experienced a similar 18% drop to a 5.0.