I think it's rather important, though I wouldn't have thought of it if you hadn't brought it up. 😉 It shows the progression of their friendship from not so great to kids who aren't kids and would die for each other. (Does that make any sense?)

Well, seeing as how Eustace has already been established as being called Eustace and is also called Eustace in The Last Battle, it would make more sense to call him Eustace in The Silver Chair as well. As for Jill, why would they call her by her surmane while calling Estace by his christian name?

In the grand scheme of things, I do not really think that calling Scrubb Eustace and Pole Jill would be a very big change. There does not seem to be any real reason (that I know of) to call them by their last names except to remind the audience that they know each other through school and are not actually related as the Pevensies and Scrubbs are.

I say both. Why change it from the book? I mean, the more like the book it is, the better, right?

Ooh. Interesting question. Keeping Scrubb and Pole would be an accurate preservation of the era and place in which the book was written (where it was normal for school kids to use their surnames). I don't know quite how I feel about it. What does Puddleglum call them in the book? I don't remember.

On the one hand, I'd like to see it preserved as in the book, but I feel that that's probably unlikely. Two points from VDT would make me suspect that they won't. Firstly, they didn't stick with Eustace calling his parents by their first names - meaning they aren't concerned with following the book's naming patterns. And secondly, the film ends with Eustace's mother talking about his "friend Jill Pole" (notice she uses both names and doesn't call her "that Pole girl" or something that might imply the use of surnames) suggesting that they are already friends - unlike in the books - and more likely to be using first names already. Of course, this being a completely new film with new actors, they could cut ties completely and forget about any precedents in VDT.

At the end of the day, it's an interesting question but I think one of the things I'd be least worried about. If they start calling each other something completely non-cannon like "sweetie" or "honey" I'd be far more concerned" 😉

I voted both. (:
While I loved how Eustace and Jill called each other by their surnames till the end of the book because it showed the progression of their friendship, I agree with Ajjie's last statement; it really isn't one of my bigger worries.

I do like that going with both would show the progression of their friendship, but like Ajjie said, the way Harold, Alberta, and Jill were addressed in VDT implies a change.

I think they should. Eustace is known by his first name to his cousins in VODT, so to me that doesn't really make a difference for the next movie, because the reason they call each other Scrubb and Pole is because that's the way it was at the school they were at, right? (correct me if I'm wrong) Sorry if that was confusing. I guess my point is, that Eustace is called Eustace in the book VODT, and then called Scrubb by Jill in the book SC. So it should also work for the movie. But with all that said, it is not something that's super important and not something that will make me really upset in the long run, especially if they get the rest of the story right. Anyway, sorry about the rambling. 🙂

I forgot about the "Jill Pole" quote from the VotDT film! I think I ignored it through force of will. :p Bothersome quote aside (urgh), I see Eustace and Jill calling each other by their surnames until closer to the climax, when there's a moment of, "You know what, you can call me by my first name." However, I think that both character should be introduced with their full names, so that viewers don't think "Scrubb" and "Pole" are some bizarre nicknames:

[Eustace squeezes between the back wall of the gym and wet laurel bushes, approaching Jill, who is sitting on the soaking ground with her arms wrapped around her knees. Eustace crouches beside her while she raises her tear-stained face to glare at him]

"Hi, um, what's your name again?"

"Jill Pole." [hissed]

"Well, Pole. Um, my name is Eustace--"

"Scrubb. I know. Go away."

There, something like that. That way you know what their full names are and that they are referring to each other by their surnames.

Nice scripting there, Spree! Sounds natural. 😀

Nice, Spree, I like it. 🙂

That's a good idea, Esprit.

I think that they will likely have a scene with the children being bullied and maybe also the teacher not doing anything about it, because otherwise moviegoers won't realize how poorly run Experiment House is. Maybe somehow the names could come up during then as well.

Perfect, Spree!