2017's Largest Movie Flicks Weren't Cheap To Make

Movie-goers across North America spent $11.4 billion throughout 2016, which represents not only a 2 percent increase over 2015 but the highest-earning year in movie history.

So, what's in store for 2017?

Simply put, movie fans can expect more of the same in 2017: lots of big budget flicks. CNBC took a look at some of 2017's most anticipated films and just how much they cost to produce, a key consideration investors should keep in mind before investing in studios in the hopes of collecting large profits.

Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" hasn't released an official budget, but the director received a salary of $20 million in addition to 20 percent of the film's profits, which will earn him the title of Hollywood's highest paid director.

"Dead Men Tell No Tales" is the fifth movie of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and reportedly cost a staggering $320 million to make. It appears that the studio, Walt Disney Co DIS, did some cost cutting, as the fourth film in the franchise is one of the most expensive films ever made at $410 million.

Matt Damon's roll in the action-adventure monster film "The Great Wall" has already broken records for being the most expensive Chinese film ever made at $135 million. The film will hit American theaters on February 17 but was already released in China on December 15, 2016.