There are reunions with former co-stars, and then there is willingly returning to the animatronic baby that apparently traumatised its own filmmakers.
Ashley Greene and Jackson Rathbone reunited in Forks, Washington, for the 2026 Forever Twilight in Forks Festival, where the actors came face-to-face with The Twilight Saga's most infamous almost-cast member: Chuckesmee.
Yes, that Chuckesmee. The unnerving animatronic Renesmee doll was created during production of the Breaking Dawn films before being deemed too unsettling for the finished product. Fifteen years later, she is still staring into souls and thriving.
Some vampires really are immortal.
Ashley Greene and Jackson Rathbone Reunite With Chuckesmee
Greene and Rathbone, who played Alice and Jasper Cullen in the Twilight films, were special guests at this year's four-day celebration from 10 to 13 September. When stanning Edward and Bella got too overwhelming, this fictional couple was there to steal our hearts with Alice's fairy-like quirkiness and Jasper's calm demeanour (when he isn't actively fighting bloodlust around humans like Bella, of course).
Their visit included a stop at the Forever Twilight in Forks Collection, which houses screen-worn costumes and authentic props from all five movies. Among the memorabilia is Chuckesmee, safely displayed behind glass where she can presumably no longer hurt anyone.
Rathbone commemorated the reunion on social media with a selfie of himself and Greene smiling beside the doll. 'Chuckesme!!!!' he wrote, before pointing out that visitors can see the 'REAL DEAL "Renesme" doll that we used for filming'.
Then came the question that has haunted humanity for more than a decade.
'Why did they make this? Why did we use this doll instead of a human? No one knows. Truly,' Rathbone joked in his Facebook caption, suggesting child labour restrictions as one possible explanation before offering the less probable theory of 'money laundering'.
The Chuckesmee financial investigation will have to remain with the relevant authorities in Forks, Washington, but it's nice to know she's cosily secured in a little glass house, not lurking in your nightmares.
Why Is the Renesmee Doll Called 'Chuckesmee'?
Chuckesmee was supposed to help bring Bella Swan and Edward Cullen's rapidly growing daughter, Renesmee, to life on the screen.
Unfortunately, life may have been precisely what the doll had too much of. The elaborate animatronic took around 20 people to create and was shipped to the Breaking Dawn set, where its appearance immediately unsettled members of the production. According to an oral history of the prop, cinematographer Guillermo Navarro quickly compared the doll to Chucky, the murderous toy from the Child's Play franchise, and 'Chuckesmee' was born.
The filmmakers gave the creation a trial run, but its mechanical movements proved too distracting. Producer Wyck Godfrey later described it as one of the most grotesque animatronic babies never to make it to the screen, while director Bill Condon called the experiment a 'giant misfire'.
Chuckesmee consequently lost the role. Hollywood is brutal, even when you're an animatronic infant.
The finished films instead used real babies and children augmented with visual effects to create Renesmee's supernatural appearance. Chuckesmee eventually found a considerably more stable career as a tourist attraction in Forks.
Chuckesmee Is Now Basically Twilight Royalty
If getting fired from Twilight sounds like a career-ending development, nobody told Chuckesmee. The Forks Chamber of Commerce acquired the doll in 2017, and she now resides permanently inside the Forever Twilight in Forks Collection at the Rainforest Arts Center. The official collection describes her as an authentic prop, while its media kit proudly calls her 'The legend'.
Visitors are drawn to her, too. Forks Chamber of Commerce executive director Lissy Andros previously said the display eventually needed a cover because people kept approaching and touching the doll.
Greene and Rathbone escaped unscathed and seemed more sentimental about the rest of their trip. Rathbone wrote that visiting the collection left him unusually 'tongue-tied', adding that seeing genuine memorabilia from the franchise brought back memories.
The pair also posed beneath Forks' famous welcome sign, with Rathbone calling the festival 'the ultimate Twilight fan experience' and thanking fans for continuing to love the films years later. His 13 September post said the weekend involved eating, dancing, singing, reminiscing, laughing, and crying together.
Forever Twilight in Forks Celebrates 15 Years of 'Breaking Dawn'
This year's festival was particularly well-timed for the reunion. The 2026 edition celebrated 15 years since The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, bringing fans back to the Washington town that Stephenie Meyer made synonymous with vampires, werewolves, and extremely complicated teenage dating decisions.
The festival itself has evolved into a four-day gathering featuring cast panels, themed parties, screenings, photo opportunities, and visits to locations associated with the saga. Festival entry itself is free, although certain individual events require advance tickets. The premium Very Important Twilighter package for 2026 cost $825 and included actor photos, autographs, meals, parties, and other perks.
And while Ashley Greene and Jackson Rathbone may have been the actors officially invited back, Chuckesmee remains arguably Forks' most committed resident.
She didn't make the final cut, but she made herself immortal anyway.
