MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — "Let’s all go to the moooo-vies!”"
That's what thousands of Hoosiers are saying about drive-ins across central Indiana as they’re looking for a safe, affordable escape for the whole family.
"I miss going to the movies, so this is the best thing we can do while we're still staying safe and social distancing," said Becky McPherson while waiting for the movie "Twister" to start at Center Brook Drive-In in Martinsville.
Because of coronavirus restrictions, drive-in movies are making a comeback all over the country — and all over Indiana. Since Hollywood movie studios are not yet releasing their latest movies, drive-ins are running classic movies from the last 30 years and making more money than they’ve made in a long while.
"We're definitely seeing more people in general," said Tyler Tharpe, owner of Center Brook Drive-In.
And the nationwide numbers are backing that up. Last week, 160 of the 201 top grossing movie theaters in the country were drive-ins, according to Deadline.
And since the Hollywood studios are not currently releasing new movies because of COVID-19, the classics are ruling the box office. "Jurassic Park" is currently the No. 1 movie in the country — which hasn't happened since it was originally released back in 1994.
This Saturday night, drive-ins all over America are charging $100 per car for a nationwide Garth Brooks concert. $100 sounds like a lot, but people are gladly paying it to get out of the house. Several drive-ins are reporting sellouts for that Garth Brooks concert.