10 Things You Didn't Know About The Predator
5. James Cameron And Rastafarians Influenced The Design
The first Predator film was not only given a small budget for a Hollywood movie, but it was nightmarish to make.
Leeches in the water, actors passing out from the heat and monetary constraints on special effects, but Stan Wilson was a genius even in these difficult times. Sitting in the Producer's office, he saw a painting of a Rastafarian warrior and was immediately inspired by the dreadlocks, that are now an iconic feature of today’s yautja.
This is noted on the Stan Wilson school of character arts website, as well as Wilson’s insistence that James Cameron’s interest in seeing a creature with mandibles helped Wilson’s creative process. And he did most of the concept art on the plane back to Mexico! Legend.