Breaking Dawn: Part 1, Edward and Bella become pregnant with a human-vampire hybrid baby, a feat previously thought to be impossible — but their love child was even more difficult to create on camera.
Renesmee’s unique genetics in Twilight presents a challenge for adaptation. Because she is part vampire, Renesmee’s physical and emotional development progress more quickly than a human child’s. This means that in Breaking Dawn, the baby both needed to be convincingly unlike other human babies, both in appearance as well as behavior. Furthermore, Renesmee would have to convincingly age rapidly throughout the final film.
The CGI baby used in Breaking Dawn: Part 2 was created by Lola VFX and required a complex process to complete. Renesmee’s appearance was shot using over 30 real-life babies, five of which were compiled into the final look [via Edward and Bella’s daughter doesn’t look quite right.
Due to her rapid aging, Renesmee’s appearance in Breaking Dawn was digitally manufactured throughout her early childhood. Manipulated versions of Foy’s face were repeatedly edited onto the bodies of various babies and toddlers, with the real Foy only appearing towards the end of the film. As a result, the set was filled with young actresses who were only used as bodies for Foy’s expressions. The baby, however, with its large eyes and not-quite-real appearance stands out as the most memorable sequence.
The film’s creators had originally planned on using a life-size animatronic to portray baby Renesmee. However, the doll didn’t look realistic, her disturbing bug-eyed visage led her to be dubbed “Chuckesme,” and the filmmakers quickly decided to go a different route. The various methods they used instead, while effective, led to some unsettling visuals in Breaking Dawn. Director Bill Condon even itted in hindsight [via Hollywood Reporter] that the hybrid baby’s rendering was “a disaster.” Renesmee’s distinct characteristics made her difficult to depict, and with the technology available at the time, a flawless result was practically impossible.
