Rave Motion Pictures Town Square 18

6587 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas

It’s been standard practice in Europe for decades, and upscale movie theaters in the U.S. have been steadily implementing it for several years.

Now, Rave Motion Pictures at Town Square is about to be the first local movie theater to offer reserved seating, starting with select showings of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" this week.

Patrons will be able to choose seats when buying tickets online or at the box office, just like with concerts or sporting events.

“I anticipate there to be some surprise,” said Greg A. Brewton, the theater’s general manager, and Rave will have extra staff on hand to ease the transition.

“Obviously there’s a learning curve,” Brewton said, but he also sees the development as a first step toward more amenities, including buying concessions online before the show and even in-theater dining service. “We see this as the next step in the evolution of movie theaters.”