Watch the trailer for Netflix's new series 'The Witcher'

The race to create the next Game of Thrones is well underway with Netflix, Amazon and HBO all developing shows that they hope will hook a global audience hungry for more swords, sorcery and occasional flashes of nudity.

Streaming giant Netflix has just rushed to an early lead with the release of the first trailer for their upcoming fantasy series The Witcher.

The show stars Henry Cavill as the titular Witcher and is based on a popular series of video games and novels.

The trailer certainly looks the part with plenty of brutal fights scenes, devastating magic, glimpses of beastly creatures and a high body count...

Netflix describes the show as "an epic tale of fate and family," which could also happily describe HBO's recently finished series. But where GoT took a world's view, following many characters and different houses, The Witcher will keep the focus on Cavill's character.

The Superman actor stars as Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, who "struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts".

Soon enough he'll encounter a powerful sorceress, and a young princess "with a dangerous secret" that will kickstart the show's adventure.

The eight-episode series is helmed by Daredevil writer Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and the directing team includes Alik Sakharov, a director on Game of Thrones.

Netflix are still playing coy when it comes to confirming when the show will start streaming. Right now The Witcher has a loose and unspecific "end of 2019" release date.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission