Netflix's first series made in Adelaide in 2021 gives 'Gymnastics Academy: A Second Chance!' for city's talent

Gymnastics Academy: A Second Chance!, the Netflix series made in Adelaide in 2021 was a television spinoff from South Australian Clay Glen’s global hit feature films A Second Chance (2011) and A Second Chance: Rivals! (2019).
Image courtesy South Australian Film Corporation

Filmed in Adelaide in 2021, South Australia's first Netflix-commissioned series Gymnastics Academy: A Second Chance! was written, produced and created by South Australian Clay Glen of Glen Pictures and co produced by South Australian producer Sally Clarke.

With major production funding from the South Australian Film Corporation, the 10-episode young adult drama series employed more than 100 South Australians in a near 100% local cast and crew. South Australian Kristian Leadbeater was a co writer, with Clay Glen directing alongside South Australians Kelly Schilling and Stephen deVilliers. Nicely Entertainment is the worldwide distributor with Vanessa Shapiro attached as executive producer.

Set in the world of teenage competitive gymnastics, Gymnastics Academy: A Second Chance! was a television spinoff from Clay Glen’s global hit feature films A Second Chance (2011) and A Second Chance: Rivals! (2019), that both found a strong global audience after being bought by Netflix.

Gymnastics Academy: A Second Chance! extends the story with additions to the much-loved characters in Australia’s elite gymnastics programme. The series revolves around 14-year-old Kyra Berry (Jada Lee Henry) is an African American gymnast whose dream is to compete in the Olympics. When she injures her knee, her United States  Academy offers are withdrawn.

Maddy Cornell (Emily Morris), the ex-world champion Australian gymnast, now a coach (A Second Chance: Rivals!), sees Kyra’s great potential and, having gone through her own injury dramas, invites her to join Australia’s elite gymnastics programme on a trial.As soon as Kyra arrives in Australia, she is swept up into an unforgettable journey of amazing friendships, important life lessons, personal growth and her first boy crush, all of which she shares with a group of Australian young teen teammates first featured in A Second Chance: Rivals! including Tess (Stella Shute), Li (Akira Van ) and Alkira (Eva Grados).

The young cast for Gymnastics Academy: A Second Chance!  was rounded out by emerging South Australian screen talent Zoe Burns, Luciana Valdez Tirado, Ava Maios and Jett Gazley . The adult cast saw the return of Emily Morris (who began her acting career as a young teen in the first A Second Chance), Alexander Lord and Melanie Munt, with Trung Le, Justina Ward and Michelle Nightingale. 

Director of photography was Michael Tessari, production design by Rita Zanchetta, costume design by Anita Seiler and makeup/hair supervisor Marie-Lyne Morant.  Editors were Kristian Leadbeater and David Brandbury and sound design by Todd Telford.