With a couple of months to go before The Witcher drops on Netflix, the show's visual effects supervisor has promised it will be more frightening than fantastical.

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40 Shots From Netflix's The Witcher Trailer 2 39 IMAGES

Julian Parry told SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar ), "I definitely think it leans more towards horror. We’re definitely taking the fantasy out. I can honestly say we’re not fantastical. I mean, it’s fantastical but in a grounded horror sense."He used the example of Striga monsters - women who are cursed to turn into beasts - as the embodiment of "gnarly-looking" body horror rather than fantasy escapism. The new trailer also includes its fair share of creepy monsters, like what appears to be a necrophage of some kind (perhaps a ghoul or foglet).The shift in focus helps Netflix's The Witcher distance itself from shows like Game of Thrones, and instead hearkens to hide-behind-the-sofa moments in Buffy or Supernatural. The latter seems a particularly apt comparison, since both the Winchester brothers and Geralt make their livings in a spook-hunting gig economy.The Witcher showrunner, Lauren Hissrich, has already said on record that she has seven seasons worth of narrative progression planned for Geralt's hunts on Netflix, so if audiences respond well The Witcher could become a staple for the streaming service. The first season will drop on Friday December 20, and will run for eight episodes.

Alysia Judge is a freelance writer and presenter. Chat to her on Twitter.