Hate to Love: Nickelback premieres at Toronto International Film Festival

Fifty million albums sold, 23 chart-topping singles and known as one of the most successful Canadian bands in history – so how can so many people hate Nickelback?

That’s exactly what the new documentary Hate to Love: Nickelback explores.

“A little more insight into the band. It was like our time to tell the story,” said instrumentalist and vocalist Ryan Peake.

“Realizing we’re just a band. We’re just four guys making music,” said frontman Chad Kroeger.

The world premiere took place Friday afternoon at the Toronto International Film Festival, giving people an intimate portrait of the band’s wild career facing internet haters and endless memes, all the while getting record-breaking airplay and touring worldwide.

“We’re here to learn things, learn the depths of each other. So to discover that with Nickelback and see what they were like beyond this opinion that everyone had was awesome, it was exciting,” said Leigh Brooks, director of the documentary.

Nickelback is also slated to put on a free concert on King Street at 7 p.m. Friday, when viewers can decide for themselves whether they love or hate them.