Horror sequel The Eye 2, produced by Hong Kong's Applause Pictures, has outperformed the original film in its opening week, grossing US$741,729 from 40 screens.

Directed by the Pang Brothers, The Eye 2 stars Shu Qi as a pregnant woman who starts to suffer from terrifying hallucinations. Eugenia Yuan and Thai actor Jessadaporn Pholdee also star. The original film, which starred Angelica Lee Sin-je as a young girl who sees the dead following a corneal transplant, grossed US$712,998 in its opening week in May 2002.

The Eye 2 beat three US openers - Big Fish, The Butterfly Effect and Buffalo Soldiers - to grab the top spot. China Star comedy Itchy Heart, directed by Matt Chow and starring Lau Ching Wan and Carina Lau, slipped to second place in its second week, grossing US$358,048 from 39 screens.

Sylvia Chang's 20:30:40, also in its second week, came in third with US$217,050 from 24 screens. Produced by Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, the film stars Lee Sin-je, Rene Liu and Chang as three women aged 20, 30 and 40, trying to make sense of modern-day relationships. It screened in competition at this year's Berlin Film Festival.