[linsomniac]

Yes, it's been a thing for at least a decade, I imagine it helps with pre-sales online, though it may just be offered as a convenience. It really does help keep the movie from unexpectedly being a lousy experience; if you're stuck in a crappy seat, or your family can't sit together, it's because you picked those seats. As someone else mentioned, it also allows them to bring you dinner and provide that upsell as well.

Even our small independent theater in town has reserved seats, some of which are couches.

[sbrother]

That actually sounds... really nice. Like they've borrowed some of the things from traditional theatre that make the experience not awful.

My reference point for movie theatres is the late 90s/early 2000s so maybe I'll have to give them another try.

[bombcar]

The oldest theaters might still be the way they always were, but most have gone to offering direct ticketing (to cut Fandango and friends out) and they need something to offer you to make you buy ahead - being able to select the seat is the carrot.

[LordDragonfang]

> it's been a thing for at least a decade

Maybe in fancy theaters, but in most places it started during covid (and just never stopped)

[bsimpson]

When I was in college in the 00s, there was a Hollywood theater that was renowned for having assigned seats and charging close to $20 per ticket.

Neither of those is remarkable now, but they were both unheard-of then.