Julia Roberts may be a global superstar but last night Abigail Breslin was the focus of screaming fans – hordes of little girls, that is – at the premiere of Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.

Roberts, who is one of the film’s executive producers, made an appearance on the red carpet at Manhattan’s Ziegfield Theatre, along with Julianne Moore and her kids, and Jada Pinkett Smith and daughter Willow, who appears in the movie. But it was 12-year-old Breslin, who is the lead in the film inspired by the American Girl doll phenomenon, that drew the star worship, with packs of girls – many of them carrying their American Girl dolls – swarming, screaming and trying to track her with their cell phones.

Breslin said she also relates to the Girl craze. “I grew up with all the dolls,” Breslin told PEOPLE. “I collected all the dolls since I was eight or so. I’ve just always liked the dolls and Kit was always my favorite.”

The swarm continued at the film’s afterparty, held – where else? – at the American Girl store in Manhattan. As Breslin sat with her family around a long table overflowing with pink cupcakes, feathers, flowers and cotton candy, girls were clamoring to get their photo taken with the young star.

Chris O’Donnell, who plays Breslin’s dad, was struck by his little costar’s composure through it all. “Seeing Abigail walk in and hearing the crowd cheer for her, I feel like we’ve got a little Shirley Temple on our hands,” O’Donnell told PEOPLE. “It’s so sweet. She handles it so well. When we were with her in Chicago, I’m telling you there was a line 100 girls long. It was like they were waiting for Santa Claus.”

Source, Splash